With panoramic harbor views, nearly 6 miles of bike trails, and fresh air unspoiled by urban traffic, Governors Island has become a don't miss daytrip for New Yorkers. Just a quick hop from Manhattan on the free ferry, the island welcomes visitors Friday through Sunday during summer months.

Left: Bird's-eye view of Governors Island today. Right: Architect's vision for the 40-acre park currently under design. Courtesy GovernorsIsland.org

Starting this weekend there's even a better reason to make the crossing. A new public art exhibition of work by 19 international artists, organized by Creative Time, opened today. Called "Plot/09: This World and Nearer Ones," the show includes art that references the island's military past - it was a long term Army base, later taken over by the Coast Guard - as well as its physical grandeur, and moodier aspects of its nautical past. It includes sound works, sculptural installations, videos, and artist interventions with the island's infrastructure.

On the Manhattan side, New York artist Lawrence Weiner urges visitors to live for the moment in a text piece placed on the pilings alongside the ferry dock. Once you arrive on the island, sounds from the musical Godspell, eerily channeled by Scottish artist Susan Philipz, seek to create a collective connection to the surroundings. German artist Klaus Weber created a massive wind chime whose deep resonant sound, consisting of three dissonant tones sometimes referred to as the "devil's interval," recalls the sounds made by diving whales.

The New York art collective, Bruce High-Quality Foundation, which was created to "offer an alternative to everything," presents an alternative to the cult movie, "Night of the Living Dead." Subtitled, "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Death of the Art World," this sendup skewers art world antics and concludes with zombies intoning the Bryan Adams classic, "Summer of 69." The film's trailer can be seen on YouTube.

In addition to the site-specific installations, opening weekend festivities include live performances by Teresa Margolies and Tris Vonna-Michell, complimentary beverages, and live music by three veranda bands - Tuba Skinny, Fallujah, and Ellery Marshall & Micah Keren-Zvi. For information, please visit Creative Time's website.

The free Governors Island ferry departs hourly from the Maritime Building, just north of the Staten Island Ferry Terminal; cyclists are welcome. Bike rentals are available on the island, with bikes available free on Fridays.

062609 Plot/09