The Museum of Modern Art in New York used to function like holy writ. The things it chose to show were not just examples of modern art and design. They were claims staked, standards set, guiding lights. Together, they sent a clear message to the world about modernism: This was important. This counted. The rest did not.
Because MoMA had the biggest collection with the best examples of the most important modern artists and designers, the edicts it broadcast had unrivaled authority. MoMA not only had a story to tell, the people telling that story were confident and powerful.
If this era at MoMA has been drawing to a close for a while, it is now officially over.
Closed to the public throughout this summer and early fall, MoMA is about to reopen after a costly expansion. Ten years in the planning, it comes 15 years after the last addition, which was designed by the Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi.
Architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, working with Gensler, have rearranged the museum's internal structure. On the museum's west side, they have added a new wing that allows for more than 30,000 square feet of new gallery space. But the extra space, according to the museum's chief curators, is not really the point.
"Everything we're doing is actually almost independent of an expansion," says Ann Temkin, MoMA's chief curator of painting and sculpture. "The way this expansion differs so much from any prior expansion - and we've done plenty - is that it is simultaneously a physical expansion and an absolute rethink of the curatorial approach."
This rethink is also a kind of reversion, according to the museum's longtime director, Glenn Lowry. It brings the museum back in line with founding director Alfred Barr's original vision of the museum as a laboratory, a space for experiment.
In the broadest terms, MoMA wants to step back from the embarrassing business of telling big, confident stories about art and culture. It wants instead, says Temkin, to tell "short stories" - propositions that are provisional but fruitfully interconnected.
"The basic fact," says Stuart Comer, MoMA's chief curator of media and performance, "is that I don't think any of us believes any longer that there is a singular history. There are a lot of different histories, and how you weave those together is an evolution, an ongoing process. So we're approaching the collection less like a canon and more like a conversation."
"When we added in 2004 and 1984," says Temkin, "it was just more room to do exactly what we did, the same way we did it." This expansion, by contrast, is about rethinking MoMA's great strength: its permanent collection - the almost 200,000 works on which it lavishes tens of millions of dollars every year, acquiring, cataloguing, storing, studying and conserving, even though most of it is never displayed.
Tapping into this unrivaled resource means embracing a state of continuous flux - not the easiest thing for an art museum. The collection galleries will be rotated every six to nine months, so that more works will be put on display.
Just as significantly - and with huge implications for its administration - the museum has been working hard to integrate curatorial departments that once acted like separate fiefdoms, and at times almost like separate museums.
Rethinking how the staff collaborate has been a challenge, according to Martino Stierli, chief curator of architecture and design. "Before, each department had its respective galleries. ... Now, there's a constant conversation between all the departments. That's new and it's different. But it's also been extremely productive and an enormous learning experience for all of us."
The ground floor of the new MoMA will be free. Even those who remain outside can get a taste of MoMA's art, because a big, street-facing window will allow them to see into a large gallery.
There will be multiple routes leading from the ticketing desk to the galleries, so that audiences will be able to take different paths through the museum from the outset. The galleries themselves are now less regular in size and height than they were. More windows and openings will offer glimpses into spaces on different levels.
At the heart of the collection galleries will be a double-height space called the Studio for live performances and programming, so that dance, sound works, film and performance will be at the core of the museum's display, not cordoned off. A second-floor space, called Platform, will focus on education - but with a playful, interactive approach.
"The museum is not the place where we're going to give a lesson," says Christophe Cherix, chief curator of drawings and prints. "It's a place where you can experiment, understand and make your own opinion. We're totally committed to scholarship, as we've always been. But it's just a different way to share this collection. It's not about telling you 'this is important, this is less,' or 'that was made because of that.' "
When MoMA reopens, it will feature three temporary exhibitions. One, devoted to Betye Saar, will feature works on paper relating to Saar's autobiographical sculpture, "Black Girl's Window." Made in 1969, "Black Girl's Window" is part of the permanent collection, so the show exemplifies the new approach of blurring the lines between temporary shows and collection displays.
A second show will feature another African American, Pope.L. His sculpture, performance, video, photography and installation art will be the subject of a trio of presentations this fall at MoMA, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Public Art Fund.
The third - and by far the biggest - exhibition will be a display of abstract art in different media by leading Latin American modernists, including Lygia Clark, Hlio Oiticica and Jess Rafael Soto. "Sur moderno: journeys of abstraction" will highlight works given to MoMA over many years by Patricia Phelps de Cisneros. Scattered among the Latin American art will be a handful of works from Europe and Russia, including Piet Mondrian's "Broadway Boogie Woogie."
Tremendous power used to be invested in the individuals heading each curatorial department at MoMA. Those chief curators are now at pains to stress that their displays are a team effort - the result of contributions by curators from many backgrounds, at all levels, in all departments.
"We want," says Cherix, "to show contradictory perspectives."
Some who remember the old MoMA resent all the changes it has undergone in recent decades. They long for the days when the museum presented its canon of modernist masterpieces (which were also, of course, overwhelmingly by white male artists) in galleries that felt almost like hallowed spaces.
Temkin and her colleagues are expecting complaints. "I enlarged my mailbox for October," she laughs.
First-time visitors make up more than half of the total audience at MoMA. Conscious that many come expecting to see certain masterpieces (for instance, Van Gogh's "The Starry Night," Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon," Mondrian's "Broadway Boogie Woogie" or Matisse's "The Red Studio"), the chief curators drew up a list of the works that, as Cherix put it, "people really want to see if they've traveled the world to come to MoMA."
"We got it down," says Temkin, "to fewer than we would have thought" - about 15 works. Those iconic works will stay on display.
But if everything else is more or less replaceable, says Cherix, "why not change everything around? Why not allow people not to think about those works just as postcards? Because when we always show the same works the same way, people don't feel the need to come back, and those works are not really alive."
In the new setup, continues Cherix, "every work has a chance of finding its way to the galleries. That's an important change."
Temkin recognizes the relativity of aesthetic judgment and welcomes the evolution of the limited curatorial viewpoint. She stresses that her idea of what art is best is not the same as her assistant curator's idea; it's just her perspective.
"The polyphony among the curators' perspectives now is aligned with the polyphony of what we're thinking about art history," she says.
Public reaction to the new MoMA will no doubt combine a bit of polyphony with some cacophony.
- - -
The new Museum of Modern Art opens Oct. 21; 11 W. 53rd St., New York; moma.org.
Link:
A new way to look at MoMA, the mecca of modern art - theday.com
- Viewpoint: Anti-GMO arguments seem silly after 28 years of false narratives about health harms and and genetic ... - Genetic Literacy Project - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Viewpoint: Here's how genetically engineered fruits and vegetables will soon emerge as a grocery store 'selling point ... - Genetic Literacy Project - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- CRISPR Investments: What We Heard at World Agri-Tech - Seed World - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- When SpaceX's Starship is ready to settle Mars, will we be? (op-ed) - Space.com - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Genome-wide promoter responses to CRISPR perturbations of ... - Nature.com - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Expanding the toolbox for RNA editing | ASU News - ASU News Now - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Electrical Engineer Named MIT Technology Review Innovator Under ... - University of California San Diego - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Can we rely on our 'moral force-field' to stop cloning going too far? - The National - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Otsuka Collaborates with ShapeTX for Development of AAV Gene ... - Pharmaceutical Technology Magazine - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Cancer discovery earns U of A grad the Breakthrough Prize - University of Alberta - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- The Brave New World of synthetic humans | Gne Taylor - IAI - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Targeting Tumors with Photosynthetic Bacteria - Optics & Photonics News - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Artificial Photosynthesis Breakthrough Researchers Produce ... - SciTechDaily - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- BASF patent on watermelons upheld: European Patent Office rejects ... - Bio Eco Actual - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Space Industry Is Growing Faster Than Its Workforce, Analysts Say - Slashdot - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- New 'Inverse Vaccine' Shows Potential to Treat MS and Other ... - Slashdot - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Gene therapy: Donor DNA may protect babies from certain disorders - Medical News Today - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Viewpoint: Grim consequences of Greenpeace's war on ... - Genetic Literacy Project - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Predicting Diabetic Kidney Disease with the Use of a Novel Algorithm - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Quantum biology on horizon? How futuristic physics theory could ... - Study Finds - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Scientists can collect human DNA from water, air, and basically ... - Earth.com - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- The First Crispr-Edited Salad Is Here - WIRED - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Gene editing technology used to produce disease-resistant calf - Earth.com - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Neanderthals passed down their tall noses to modern humans ... - Livescience.com - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Squid Camouflage Inspires Human Invisibility: Is it Possible? - DISCOVER Magazine - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Mice Model Technologies Market Poised for 7.4% CAGR Growth, Reaching USD 3.2 Bn by 2031 | Transparency Market Research - Yahoo Finance - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Google Cloud launches A.I.-powered tools to accelerate drug discovery, precision medicine - CNBC - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- How Fauci, scientists with ties to Wuhan lab persuaded the ... - U.S. Right to Know - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- The Daunting Task of Cutting Heavy Metals from Baby Food - Undark Magazine - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- Ingestible Device Profiles and Peers into the Microbiome and ... - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- X-Men Officially Names the Best Powers Any Mutant Can Have - Screen Rant - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- 10 Forgotten Marvel Comics Characters That Debuted In The '80s - Screen Rant - May 18th, 2023 [May 18th, 2023]
- 18 Human Genetic Engineering - Clemson University - April 19th, 2023 [April 19th, 2023]
- Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering - Benefits and Risks - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- What is Genetic Engineering? Types, Process & Applications - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- How artificial skin is made and its uses, from treating burns to skin cancer - South China Morning Post - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- Welcome to the UNC Department of Genetics | Department of Genetics - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Global Genetically Modified Crops Market Is Projected To Grow At A 6% Rate Through The Forecast Period - EIN News - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Science and History of GMOs and Other Food Modification Processes - February 2nd, 2023 [February 2nd, 2023]
- Genetics | History, Biology, Timeline, & Facts | Britannica - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Human genetics | Description, Chromosomes, & Inheritance - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Genetic testing - Mayo Clinic - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Genetic Disorders: What Are They, Types, Symptoms & Causes - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Colossal Biosciences Project to Revive the Prehistoric Woolly Mammoth Raises Staggering $60 Million Series A Funding - Nature World News - January 22nd, 2023 [January 22nd, 2023]
- 2023 is going to witness a surge in technology courses top courses that will remain in vogue - Times of India - January 22nd, 2023 [January 22nd, 2023]
- M.R.S. Rao birthday: All you need to know about the Padma Shri winning Indian scientist - Free Press Journal - January 22nd, 2023 [January 22nd, 2023]
- Russian cosmism - Wikipedia - January 8th, 2023 [January 8th, 2023]
- Postgenderism - Wikipedia - January 8th, 2023 [January 8th, 2023]
- LessWrong - Wikipedia - January 8th, 2023 [January 8th, 2023]
- Eliezer Yudkowsky - Wikipedia - January 8th, 2023 [January 8th, 2023]
- Genetic Engineering Principles of Biology - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Engineering the Perfect Baby | MIT Technology Review - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Genetic Engineering Science Projects - Science Buddies - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- DSI adoption at COP15 can financially help protect biodiversity in India: Experts - The Tribune India - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Tel Aviv University researchers demonstrate success of potential one-time vaccine to treat HIV/AIDS - ETHealthWorld - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Should You Buy 22nd Century Group Inc (XXII) Stock After it Has Risen 14.29% in a Week? - InvestorsObserver - October 28th, 2022 [October 28th, 2022]
- Home :: National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- A recently discovered law of physics could help predict genetic mutations - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Farmers, consumers will embrace GMOs if they understand them - The Standard - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Synthetic Biology Market is Expected to Report a CAGR of ~21% from 2021 to 2029: Industry Size, Growth & Forecast at Douglas Insights - Yahoo... - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- After 45 years of science-based art, Esther Klein Gallery winds down - WHYY - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Behind this Nobel prize is a very human story: theres a bit of Neanderthal in all of us - The Guardian - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- The key to tastier beer might be mutant yeastwith notes of banana - Popular Science - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Why You'll Probably Never See Cotton Candy Grape Wine - Tasting Table - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Earth materials in technology The National - The National - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- CULINARY THRILL SEEKING Proceed with caution. It's hotter than blazes season. - Port Arthur News - The Port Arthur News - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Give legal rights to animals, trees and rivers, say experts - The Guardian - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- How yeast DNA may help protect astronauts from cosmic radiation in space - EastMojo - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Life finds a way, but should it? The ethics of genetic engineering - The Trinitonian - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- To modify or not to modify? Genetic Modification and Gene Editing - A divergence by the UK - Lexology - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Gene Therapy Hits Its Stride in the Clinic - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- GWAS, MWAS and mGWAS provide insights into precision agriculture based on genotype-dependent microbial effects in foxtail millet - Nature.com - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Making Sense of the Latest Apple-iPhone News - The Motley Fool - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Gene therapy brings hope to people with sickle cell, HIV - Monitor - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- GMO: Everything you need to know about lifting ban - FarmKenya Initiative - The Standard - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Century Therapeutics to Present at the SITC 37th Annual Meeting - Yahoo Finance - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Cultured meat could help solve the climate crisis. Heres what it will take to move it from the lab to the dinner table - Fortune - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Poseida Therapeutics to Present Trial in Progress Poster for Phase 1 P-MUC1C-ALLO1 Study at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Annual Meeting -... - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Explained: How scientists engineered mosquitoes that will cut the transmission of malaria - Firstpost - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Here Are the Biggest Health Industry News Items of 2022 So Far - DocWire News - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]