Museum of Art and Design

Every once in while, our hectic schedules work themselves out in wonderful ways. I had a volleyball game at 9 pm on Thursday; which was a bit annoying because Thursday is not our usual game night, and man, that's late. I like earlier games since then it's more likely everyone will go out for happy hour.

Then I saw on the Internet that Thursday nights are pay-as-you-wish nights at the Museum of Arts and Design from 6 to 9pm. And this museum also happens to be at the closest subway stop to my volleyball game. This would give me plenty of time to check out the exhibit for a couple of hours, and then head off to my volleyball game at 8:30. I was very excited, the MAD just opened it's new location in September of last year, and after walking by it when construction was wrapping up, I was really curious of what was inside.

I know there's been some controversy over the Museum of Arts and Design building. In all honesty, I don't feel qualified to fully weigh in since I didn't see the old building and how it fit in it's urban and historic context. What I can say is that every time I go to Columbus Circle, I feel part of that old New York glamour I used to see in the movies. This is also because of the Time Warner center, despite some urban design issues, is a glamorous building I really like. I don't see how the old building would have fit there.

The MAD building looks alien, it's massing and fenestration feel a bit arbitrary (does it really say HI on the facade?), and it reminds me of the New Museum. From the first time I saw the building, I could tell it was new and probably polemic, since it seems to be purposely not blending into its context. I have mixed feelings about this. From all the pictures I've seen of the old building, it seems like it lacked presence and the ability to energize the area. This new building is making a statement, and after all, isn't that what we need and expect from art museums?

If an art museum isn't allowed to be bold, weird, controversial and potentially ugly, then what is?

I am a preservationist as much as the next person, but mostly, I believe that cities need to move forward and re-energize areas with new building and public infrastructure. However, we need a comprehensive urban plan, so taht the "new" doesn't complety destroy and compromise the existing. The "existing" needs to be protected, as it carries with it history, community, and an intergral part of urban identity. That fine line between preserving the past and embracing the future tends to be filled with public outcries from every possible place. I get intellectually stimulated with these kinds of discussions. I could geek out for hours.

But I was talking about the Museum of Arts and Design

The exhibition space is not that big. I'm glad I went on the "free" night. I was completely underwhelmed by the permanent collection, and felt that though it was pretty, it was nothing I wouldn't be able to see at an upscale furniture and craft store. Same for the jewelry permanent collection, though there were a few pieces that I would love to wear.

The current exhibit, Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary, was amazing though. I loved it.



from the MAD website:

The exhibition features work by 50 international established and emerging artists from all five continents who create objects and installations comprised of ordinary and everyday manufactured articles, most originally made for another functional purpose.

I have long held a fascination with refurbishing objects in new ways. Reusing materials- be they found objects, recycled or trash- and given a new useful purpose. Not just a contemporary art installation, but an actual daily function. There is a beauty to bricolage. I find this type of creative use of materials, re-envisioning their texture, shape, weight, color and properties, to be incredibly creative and very invigorating. Its a form of recycling, where the original object doesn't lose it's original integrity, it just changes function and identity.

Among my favorite pieces: chandelier made of eyeglasses, dress made from latex gloves (picture above), collage of garment worker made with clothing labels, Mona Lisa made with sewing thread (detail above), pyramid from plastic spoons, LP record butterflies (picture above).

The other current exhibit was "Totally Rad" a collection by designer Karim Rashid of new inventive radiator designs. Really elegant ideas, and very beautiful. I would take one of those radiators any day over the dirty generic one I have. There is no reason why functional appliances can't have an inherent design integrity of their own.

photos courtesy of Museum of Art and Design