What a find this museum was! The Museum of Art & Design is on Columbus Circle, so at the grand south-west entrance to Central Park towered by gilded statues, the Trump Towers (which does nothing for me, but if you're a tourist that might be interesting) from the quite high-end skyscraper mall beautifully done and lit (btw: in its basement is “WholeFoods” – a delectable food shopping establishment. More on that later...)
Back to the Museum of Arts & Design. It has also a new building. One of its main pluses is that it can be done in 2-3 hours. You can spend more time, especially on the lower floors, but you would have basically experienced it. Other plus – Start from the top and work your way down. Take the elevator. I love an establishment that creates a spiral for you to work your way through.
The Art – You know how you leave some art museums and you wonder what you were supposed to get out of it, or if it has really added any beauty or depth to anything. This museum leaves you with no doubt. It is utterly satisfying, while being surprising and weird. Everything is beautiful, but done in ways that make you spin, laugh or gasp – usually gasp and tap your friend and say: “you have to come and see this”.
There are optical illusions, weird and grotesque materials made stunning, stunning materials made grotesque. Politics made visual and the visual made political. Commentary on our world via how we use and consume. On how we can express more deeply through how we design, how we build and create for ourselves and for others.
There is even a space where you can see artists work or participate yourself. A sort of atelier for us all to visit.
Love this museum.
Thursdays are open late and between 6pm and 9pm it is “pay-what-you-wish”, and not that crowded. But, do support it, if you can. The MAD shop is filled with exquisitely hand-crafted objects by artists and not by a factory. It does happen to include some work from the father of a friend of my sister – which shocked us, as she had given us a piece, just like that. We knew it was beautiful, but this put a price tag on it. Good to know... and Great To Visit. Please do see this museum. It's a treasure.
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