Despite passing muster with New York City’s Department of Health, Carsten Höller’s “Super Psycho Tank” — part of his current exhibition at the New Museum — may not be entirely sanitary after all. A visitor e-mailed Gothamist last week claiming that she and her boyfriend contracted an ear infection from the artwork, a sensory deprivation pool the size of a walk-in closet.

To experience the piece, visitors are invited to step inside, disrobe, and go for a dip. The ear-infected visitor said she and her beau waited three hours to float in the tank, and two days later, “we both had very painful ear infections in both ears.” She added, “I’ve never had an ear infection in my life! After 8 days of antibiotics, our ear infections are STILL not gone. I tried to post this information on their [the New Museum's] Tumblr, but surprise, surprise, the moderator has not yet approved my post.”

This isn’t the first bump in the road for “Super Psycho Tank.” Soon after the show opened, the health department informed the museum that it did not have the proper permits to operate the tank. The museum agreed to restrict use of the pool to one person at a time, allowing it to operate it without approval. Visitors who wish to use the tank are also required to sign a waiver confirming they are free of water-borne diseases. Too bad an ear infection doesn’t fall into that category.

The health risks don’t seem to be doing much to keep the crowds away. Last week, the museum announced that “Carsten Höller: Experience” is the most popular show in the institution’s 35-year history.

Tags: Carsten Holler, New Museum