Pro-ID

The New Museum, the preeminent contemporary art institution in Lower Manhattan, recently announced the full details about the forthcoming "Festival of Ideas for the New City," set for May 4 - 8 in and around their home base at 235 Bowery. The multifaceted, interdisciplinary event is at once a celebration and an investigation of downtown creative culture as a locus for discourse about the future of the city.

The Festival of Ideas for the New City, May 4-8, 2011, is a major new collaborative initiative in New York involving scores of Downtown organizations, from universities to arts institutions and community groups, working together to affect change. A first for New York, the Festival will harness the power of the creative community to imagine the future city and explore the ideas destined to shape it. It will take place in multiple venues Downtown and is organized around three central programs: a three-day slate of symposia; an innovative StreetFest along the Bowery; and over eighty independent projects and public events. The Festival will serve as a platform for artists, writers, architects, engineers, designers, urban farmers, planners, and thought leaders to exchange ideas, propose solutions, and invite the public to participate.

More details and teaser pics after the jump...

Urbanism enthusiasts can geek out and network during a series of symposia, lectures and workshops featuring the likes of Vito Acconci, Elizabeth Diller, and David Byrne (who is set to 'introduce' a Mayoral Panel, promising insight into city-level politics), not to mention keynote speaker Rem Koolhaas.

For those who are more interested in practice instead of theory, Saturday, May 7 marks the transformation of the Bowery into "an innovative, minimal-waste, outdoor StreetFest"—hence, Festival of Ideas. Support local businesses and organizations, including food producers and vendors, while you learn about urban gardening, homemade robots, street furniture, or even the Bowery itself.

Last but not least, myriad projects represent more traditional venues for art and design, namely exhibitions and performances that span the creative spectrum. There are more details to come, but the all-nightPechaKucha, in particular, sounds like our kind of shindig.

The three-pronged approach—conference, streetfest and projects—means there will be something for everyone, so definitely make time to visit if you're in New York between May 4 - 8.

Check out the full list of events and collaborators here.