Last night I attended the members night party at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
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The “party” was, as most “parties” in the USA: drinks, and people. Thats basically it. The music was soft enough that it was barely perceivable (unlike the New Museums party, where DJs try to make it impossible to talk to the person next to you).
So, why all the fuss? Why go to a “party” that has basically nothing to offer in terms of “fun”?
Yesterday I attended WhiteBox`s exhibition closing party. The invitation said:
Author and curator Raul Zamudio in conversation with Mookie Tenembaum.
Please join us at White Box for the closing reception of DISILLUSIONISM, and to engage in a stimulating conversation between Raul Zamudio and Mookie Tenembaum at 8pm sharp. Mookie will be presenting his new artist book, Paranoia. Malbec wines and truffles will be served.
Although I am grateful for the invitation, and it sure was an interesting event, some things just beg to be commented.
On Sunday evening I attended the Whitney Museum of American Contemporary Art`s Biennial 2012 exhibition. I had lunch in a hurry, worried that I would not have time to visit the whole exhibition (since I only had a few hours). How wrong I was. Let`s just say it was sooooo disappointing (at least for someone, like me, who knows almost nothing about art), that I was left with a feeling of wonder.
On Sunday morning I went to the Asia Society for a panel discussion titled: “The Future of the Past – Collecting Ancient Art in the 21st Century” presented by the American Committee for Cultural Policy in conjunction with Asia Week. The panelists included:
Naman Ahuja, Professor of Indian Art and Architecture, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India Kate Fitz Gibbon, attorney and author, former member of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee to the President Kurt A.
Saturday evening I went to the talk _Independent Curators International and the New Museum present The Curators Perspective: Rosina Cazali_. Although there was an interesting <a title="https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2012/fine-classical-chinese-paintings-n08835/exhibitions.html" href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2012/fine-classical-chinese-paintings-n08835/exhibitions.html" target="_blank">talk at Sothebys titled “_Masters of the Ming and Qing: Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy at Sothebys_" by Arnold Chang, before their Fine Classical Chinese Paintings exhibition and auction. I dont know how the Sotheby`s lecture went, but here is what I saw and heard at the New Museum.
Friday I attended the Annual Lecture on the Arts of South and Southeast Asia at the NY Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), delivered by Crispin Branfoot, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. His lecture was titled: “Making Madurai: Temple Arts in Early Modern South India”.
Dr. Branfoot is, I am sure, a world renowned expert, and the MET has some wonderful education programs. And this one in particular was filled to capacity, such that I had to watch it from an adjacent “study room”.
So, Sunday came and my feet were already trembling scared in anticipation of another art overdose. Let`s go!
I spent the morning walking around some of Manhattans Lower East Side (LES) galleries with artist <a title="https://leewells.org/home/" href="https://leewells.org/home/" target="_blank">Lee Wells</a>. We visited <a title="https://www.roostergallery.com/" href="https://www.roostergallery.com/" target="_blank">Rooster Gallery</a>, <a title="https://www.anastasia-photo.com/" href="https://www.anastasia-photo.com/" target="_blank">Anastasia Photo</a>, <a title="https://bridgegalleryny.com/home.html" href="https://bridgegalleryny.com/home.html" target="_blank">Bridge Gallery</a>, <a title="https://www.maysongallery.com/" href="https://www.maysongallery.com/" target="_blank">Mayson Gallery</a>, <a title="https://lesleyheller.com/" href="https://lesleyheller.com/" target="_blank">Lesley Heller Workspace</a>, and <a title="https://www.scaramoucheart.com/" href="https://www.
