Working in the London office means that I am fortunate to work with some incredible clients – and as such see some fantastic exhibitions. I also get to hear about some of the great work that our team does across the entire group.
And so, when I was planning my very first trip to New York City, there was no doubt in my mind of what I wanted to see when I was there. After dropping in to our New York office and seeing the gang, I armed myself with an umbrella and a comfortable pair of shoes and made for 5th avenue.
My first stop was to the Neue Galerie, where I paid for my ticket and received my complimentary audio guide. This distinguished Galerie is found in the area known as Museum Mile and is renowned for its early twentieth-century German and Austrian collection.
Two exhibitions were on during my visit:
1 – Klimt and the Women of Vienna’s Golden Age, 1900–1918
(September 22, 2016-January 16, 2017)
This exhibition examines some of Klimt’s most important society portraits and tracks his changing style; from his early ethereal works influenced by Symbolism and the Pre-Raphaelite movement, to his so-called “golden style,” as well as his almost Fauvist depictions. The influence of fashion design among society women of the era also plays a key role.
An absolutely stunning exhibition and highly recommended for anyone in the area before it closes in January. Or for those of you who can’t, think about downloading the app and learning all about this incredible artist and his most famous works.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/neue-galerie-ny/id1152406274?mt=8
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.acoustiguidemobile.am_neuegalerie&hl=en
2 – Masterworks from the Neue Galerie New York
(September 22, 2016-September 25, 2017)
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the founding of the Neue Galerie, a selection of some of the major works from the Galerie’s permanent collection are on view to the public. The museum is currently showing German masterworks in the third-floor galleries and it is well worth a visit for anyone who is a fan of 20th century European art, as the amount of great art on display is simply staggering.
After a wonderful visit to the Neue Galerie, we walked a couple more blocks to explore the iconic Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. As an internationally renowned art museum, it was already filled with people (taking as many pictures of the architecture as of the artworks housed within) by the time we arrived. Luckily I had already downloaded our custom Guggenheim app onto my phone and made great use of the near me feature to learn more about the incredible artworks around me.
We began with the exhibition on Agnes Martin and her work. Martin’s serene paintings sit well in the spiralling rotunda of the Museum and present the scope of her output; including her biomorphic abstractions of the 1950s, signature grid and stripe compositions and final paintings.
Tales of our Time was in stark contrast to the Agnes Martin exhibition, but just as compelling. This contemporary exhibition challenges the conventional understanding of place. There is huge variety within the exhibition, with pieces ranging from a mechanical hand, to video to textiles. Each piece is vastly different yet all come together to challenge and confront the viewer in their preconceptions – disputing the line between fact and fiction.
New York is an amazing city and home to some internationally celebrated cultural institutions. I had a brilliant trip and am now looking forward to resting up over the holiday season (and maybe catching an exhibition or two in London and Dublin) before deciding where to go for my next big adventure…
