MoMA is the world's first museum dedicated entirely to contemporary art. The iconic institution houses masterpieces of modern art. It is one of the most visited museums in the United States and one of the main attractions of New York.
History
The idea of creating the MoMA Art Museum belongs to Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, the wife of John Davison Rockefeller Jr., and her friends, collectors Lily Bliss, Mary Quinn Sullivan. The project began with the lease of a space on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue. The opening took place in 1929, businessman, writer and philanthropist Anson Gooder was appointed president of the institution, Abbie Rockefeller was treasurer, and art historian Alfred Barr was appointed director.
The first successful exhibition was organized in the fall of 1929, among the exhibits were works by Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Georges-Pierre Seurat, Paul Cezanne. At first, MoMA occupied 6 rooms, galleries and offices on the 12th floor of the Heckscher building. Then he changed 3 more temporary places. Rockefeller Jr. was against the museum, but changed his mind and donated the land to contemporary art.
Description
The landmark covers an area of 65,800 square meters. The building, which was built in 2004 by Japanese architect Yoshi Taniguchi to expand the museum, has become a separate exhibit. He used minimalism by combining disparate elements. The symmetrical volumes of the building are decorated with black granite, grey glass and aluminum. MoMA gained worldwide fame thanks to the Pablo Picasso retrospective, which was held together with experts from the University of Chicago.
What can I see
Today, more than 150,000 works and approximately 4,000,000 films have been collected here. For the convenience of information perception, they were divided into several sectors. Some users plan several visits in order to have time to watch everything.
- On the ground floor there is a sculpture garden with a bronze statue of Picasso's goat.
- The 2nd floor is occupied by printed graphics, a gallery of modern art.
- On the 3rd floor, you can explore the art of architecture. There are not only design photos, but also layouts, as well as furniture.
- On the 4th floor there are paintings and architecture from the 40s and 70s of the XX century.
- On the 5th floor there are paintings and architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among the exhibits are the works of Kazimir Malevich, Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky and Vincent Van Gogh. On the stairs between the floors, museum visitors can watch the "Dance" by French Henri Matisse. In this painting, 5 people are dancing on a hill: the figures have no faces, and all the figures are simplified, this is a symbol of humanity united by a primitive rhythm.
- There are 2 cinemas in the basement floors, the price per session is included in the ticket price. There are usually more than a thousand film screenings a year.
According to statistics, MoMA receives approximately 3 million visitors annually. The museum is affiliated with MoMA PS1, one of the oldest non-profit art centers in Queens. About 50 exhibitions a year, music shows and performances are organized in this place.
How to get
MoMA is located in midtown Manhattan and is easily accessible by public transportation. On the E or M trains, you need to get off at the Fifth Avenue/53rd Street subway station. Buses M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M50 stop near the landmark. Alternatively, you can consider renting a car or taking a taxi.
Gallery
