We’ve got that Friday feeling, and it isn’t just because the original Sugababes are (finally) having their comeback. We are a mere three days away until the Museum of Modern Art opens its grand ol’ doors once again after the temporary closure over summer. The New York institution shut shop last June in an effort to re-imagine how they curated the works displayed, and to be more inclusive of both women and artists of colour. Four months later, and a whopping $450m makeover, the MoMA is ready to let the New York art buffs back inside once again, here’s ten things to look forward to:
1. The gallery is now 30% larger inside, which means a whole load more art and an even bigger gift shop.
2. MoMa has completely re-jigged their methodology behind displaying their work. From now on, every six months the MoMa will re-hang the works in a noticeably different layout.
3. The new method of curation centres around a thematic structure – with new room titles including True Stories and Inner and Outer Space.
4. Modernised curation methods will allow for a more diverse representation of artists throughout the museum. Now, 28% of the works in the space are by women artists – still a little on the low side, yet a staggering five times higher amount of work made by women that was displayed in the MoMa back in 2000. The shift aims to quake the elitist, predominantly white overrepresentation that riddles the art world internationally.
5. No longer will the space be dominated by big names. The museum will now display famed works with more unknown works from different eras and timeframes.
6. An example of such comes in the form of Picasso’s Demoiselles d’Avignon, a piece created in 1907, which is placed next to American People Series #20: Die, an arresting piece by Faith Ringgold from 1967 which depicts the 1965 Watts Riots in LA.
7. In the spirit of out with the old and in with the new, MoMa has now banned field-specific lexis that may have alienated visitors in the past – “We were trying to imagine what we would say if we had a group of friends over to dinner who aren’t in the art world,” director of the MoMa, Glenn Lowry, told the Guardian this week.
8. No more jazzy lobby music – experimental musician Arca will soundtrack the main entrance to the museum for two years from its re-opening.
9. The composition Arca has produced uses the Bronze AI engine, which she clarified on Instagram “will never make the music play the same way twice – it’s a live transmission forever in mutation.”
10. One thing not to look forward to: sadly ticket prices still stand at $25, but if you’re looking to feed your brain with some of the greatest contemporary art on offer in the city, you know where to head.
The Museum of Modern Art re-opens October 21st.
