THE GALLERIES
The Meatpacking District has a shiny new resident â
the newly-moved Whitney Museum of American Art.
The Whitney itself has been around for a while but
the new space has only been in use for about a year now.
One of my favourite things about this museum is
the ground floor space thatâs given over to showcase
the promising unknowns of the art world. I love the fact
that there is space for everyone here without having to
have âmade itâ to a certain point. And then I get to the top
floor which is when weâre visiting a study of war and
surveillance in the post 9/11 world and Iâm immediately
absorbed. Itâs amazing how many of your senses get pulled
into experiencing the artwork here â one floor down
thereâs a temporary audio-only âshowingâ that beautifully
juxtaposes the open gallery with recordings from
Sing-Sing Prison in New York State.
Now if you accidentally wander down to where the
Whitney used to be youâre not going to be left looking
at a âWeâve moved!â sign. Whatâs come up there is the
MET Breuer an expansion of the Metropolitan Museum
of Artâs contemporary and modern art programme. Opened
on March 18 2016 this building will host a lot more
performances residencies and educational initiatives
than the âoriginalâ Met as well as exhibitions of course.
I spend my time here familiarising myself with
the wonderful pieces created by Nasreen Mohamedi
an Indian artist who spent her last years in Kihim outside
Mumbai until she died of Huntingtonâs disease.
MAKE IT HAPPEN
Whitney Museum of American Art: 00-1-212-570-3600; http://www.
whitney.org; 99 Ganservoort St; check timings on website; 1500 adult (online in advance) 1700 (same day at the museum) 18 and under free
MET Breuer: 00-1-212-731-1675; http://www.metmuseum.org; 945 Madison
Ave & 75th St; 10am â 5.30pm Sat â Wed till 9pm Thur â Fri; suggested
admission rates: ` 1700 adult children under 12 free
- Artist Andrea Fraserâs Open Plan installation
uses audio from a prison to startling effect
2 3 & 4. American art takes centrestage
at the Whitney^1
23 4