As Performance Space New York (Re-)Opens, Old Denizens Mourn Its Old Identity, PS122

“Some criticized the change as an erasure of the organization’s history. Others took issue with the choice of a generic-sounding name over one reflecting the origins of PS122, which was founded in 1980 when a group of artists took over an abandoned public school.” (One waggish critic tweeted, “In honor of PS122’s decision to rebrand as Performance Space New York, I am considering changing my name to Personal Name.”) “The initial outcry has subsided, but … questions linger about the new identity. To what extent does a name matter? What happens to the history it holds? “