Art World vs. Pandemic: Five Must See Exhibitions in America
As the Covid-19 crisis progresses, many museums in America have decided to temporarily close as a precautionary measure, including cultural centers such as LACMA, the Smithsonian museums, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. However, many other places are open to the public and have numerous interesting exhibitions coming up. In light of economic losses and the interruption of artistic events, it would be absolutely beneficial for everybody to sustain galleries and support artists while still enjoying fascinating pieces of art. Here’s a list of five must-see exhibitions. MET (New York), NATIVE AMERICAN ART
The MET, from the homepage
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is currently displaying a wide range of holdings of historical North American Art, focusing on the understanding of Indigenous people. The collection contains an incredible breadth of work, including sculptures from British Columbia and Alaska, pottery from the Southwestern Pueblos, Plains drawings, as well as regalia and accessories from Eastern Woodlands. This is an excellent opportunity to rediscover the achievements of artists from more than fifty cultures across North America. Philadelphia Museum of Art, MARISA MERZ
Philadelphia Museum of Art by Wikipedia.org
Marisa Merz (1926-2019) is the female protagonist of the ‘Arte Povera’ movement, literally meaning ‘Poor Art,” a radical Italian art movement that explored a range of unconventional processes and non traditional ‘everyday’ materials to produce art in the 60’s. Using throwaway objects to construct her works, the artist subverts stereotypes and preconceived rules of art-making by combining this new technique to personal experiences and sensibilities. Her work was a unique journey into the cosmos of private and public, sacred and profane, feminism and patriarchy. MCA (Chicago), THE LOCATION OF LINES
Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art by Wikipedia.org
Inspired by Sol Lewitt, a leading figure in conceptual art, the exhibition takes its name from one of his works The Location of Lines, a 1975 series of etchings produced by the American artist. The controversial nature of a line, a symbol of division and inclusion, was investigated by a group of artists who challenged the meaning of this sign, by looking between imposed limits and ways of connecting. Through a variety of media—prints, drawings, photographs, videos—these artists attempt to look at things with a new perspective, examining this concept in the context of space and politics. MFA (Boston), ART OF THE AMERICAS
Boston Museum of Fine Arts by TripAdvisor.com
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston displays 3,000 years of art, from ancient Mesoamerican civilizations to modern cultural centers from across the central, northern and southern American continents. Centuries of societal changes, commerce, and wars have led to different ideas about identity and the sense of community on the continent, therefore this is the opportunity to define or redefine many conventions about humanity’s history and art from there. Particularly, the museum “seeks to highlight cultures and artists that it has historically underrepresented—among them female artists, indigenous artists, Black artists, artists of color, and self-taught or folk artists.” This is a rare opportunity to challenge assumptions and ways of thinking about art. NOMA (New Orleans), MENDING THE SKY
New Orleans Museum of Art by Wikipedia.org
“Mending the Sky” is the visual response of eleven artists who examined and tried to give form to the phenomenon of chaos, the aftermath of the ultimate disaster: Hurricane Katrina. The title refers to a Chinese tale in which a rip in the sky causes the earth to split open, bringing floods, fires, famine, and disease—until a goddess takes on the arduous task of mending the broken sky. As a result, their art proposes a more equitable future, where collaboration and equity become the foundations of the new world that might rise in the wake of calamity. Cultural identity, gender, race, and sexuality are the pillars that determine the artistic research of these visionaries. This exhibit is an anthropological journey into humanity and its fate. While the crisis has reshaped visitor experiences and challenged the art world to find alternative ways of experiencing artworks, the industry is still struggling with huge losses in income. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to boost people’s presence in galleries and museums alike, because, without them, we would lose national treasures. The cultural system is responding, and now it is time to pick up their call and visit open galleries.