A weekend in New York is just not enough time, unless you are prepared to not sleep a wink! Our travels for Elliott's spring break (my younger sister) started out with the Guggenheim museum. As an art nerd I was in heaven. Winding up the spiral building and stopping at each section or gallery meant another fascinating piece.
The Guggenheim was built by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1943. He created a one room museum that started at the bottom and made it all the way to the top. Frank Lloyd Wright designed the building so that the viewers would start at the top and work their way down the spiral, today it goes the opposite way. Off to one of the sides there are also smaller galleries housing a permanent collection comprised of Monet's, Dega's, Picasso's and many more. The main gallery switches out from time to time making room for a new artist.
While we were there the artist on show was Danh Vo, a Vietnamese American born in 1975. His work was a collection of artifacts from across the world used to tell of his life experience. The Guggenheim describes it as...
“... public forces and private desires that define individual experience. His work addresses sweeping cultural and political themes, but refracts them through intimate personal narratives—what the artist calls “the tiny diasporas of a person’s life.” Seen together in this survey exhibition, the sculptures, photographs, and works on paper that he has created over the past fifteen years circle a central paradox: that the self is plural and inherently fluid, yet decisively shaped by larger power structures.”
I found his pieces to incorporate his own history and engagement with he object as well as the object's history. I enjoyed how he paired images, sculptures, artifacts and text from many different areas of his life to create a cohesive collection.
The Guggenheim was one of the highlights of my trip! I loved how simple the architecture was but the concept was so complex. I cannot way to go back and see other artist showcase their pieces in this unique gallery. Ciao!
