Whitney Museum of American Art at Philip Morris

120 Park Avenue, at 42nd Street

Through Dec. 16

The term ''flighty'' might be applied to this display of thongs and G-strings, which are apparently emerging from their status as Victoria's Secret-style intimates for women to those of very public outer garments. No derogation intended: the artist has stretched and stiffened some 200 of the creatures with polyurethane resin to suggest the shapes of kites, birds and planes.

In coordinated colors (white, black, pink and blue), they are hung from the ceiling in gracefully orchestrated flight patterns, so that they appear to swoop and soar through this large public space. (Each of the thongs holds an iridescent pearl bead in the crotch.)

Ms. Day's previous works have included an ''Exploding Couture'' series. One of its components, the white dress worn by Marilyn Monroe in ''The Seven Year Itch,'' is programmed to fly apart as a way of illustrating the social constraints represented by women's clothes. And no doubt about it, these flying thongs and G-strings send a message, too.