NEW YORK
It is a must to visit New York. It is almost criminal not to. People speak of its electric magnetism and for good reason. The museums and galleries here are second to none so give yourself plenty of time to explore. Taxi!
THE GUGGENHEIM
WEBSITE: WWW.GUGGENHEIM.ORG
VISIT TIME: 1.5 HOURS
One of the most significant icons of 20th century architecture, the building commission was awarded to Frank Lloyd Wright, and was to be a ‘temple of spirit’. It was built in the 50’s to house industrialist Solomon R. Guggenheim’s expanding art collection. Working with his niece, Peggy, they grew the collection and the Guggenheim name internationally expanding to further venues in Venice, Spain, and most recently, not without controversy, to Abu Dhabi. It is a legendary space, an impeccable collection, with temporary exhibitions to match. As it is cultural centre it tends to host very good talks and lectures which are worth attending, if you have time. They really bring the work to life.
THE HIGH LINE
WEBSITE: www.thehighline.org
VISIT TIME: Roughly an hour and half leisurely stroll
An elevated park running up the west side of lower manhattan, this was a genius idea for what to do with a disused railway that also helped regenerate the area. A park which is comfortable to walk (or jog) through with areas to sit, enjoy a performance, and see a new view of the city. It is entirely free and a new concept for an urban park, it also has sculptures dotted along the path. A more formal sculpture plinth project was launched in 2019 which will change every 18 months.
MOMA
WEBSITE: WWW.MOMA.ORG
VISIT TIME: 2 HOURS (MINIMUM)
If contemporary art had a Vatican or Mecca, MoMa would be it. It is the most influential museum in the world and offers an eclectic and dynamic collection display. There is SO much quality work to see there that it can be overwhelming so best to do it in small bites to avoid incoherent art-mush-brain. The host of Matisse, Van Gogh, De Chirico and Braque, will make it hard to tear away from the permanent collection but make the effort for the temporary exhibitions, which are spectacular.
MOMA PS1
WEBSITE: MOMAPS1.ORG
VISIT TIME: 1.5 HOURS
PS1 MoMa actively pursues the new in contemporary art. The building holds true to this philosophy with classroom-sized project spaces, lending to the atmosphere of a ‘school of art’. It only quite recently became an affiliate of MoMa (2000), though has shown significant and, frankly really fun, art since the 70s. The curators are not precious about the spaces which are flexible for installations, interventions, and experimentation. I have found some truly wonderful and bizarre projects here. Its fun and very much worth a visit.
NEUE GALERIE
WEBSITE: WWW.NEUEGALERIE.ORG
VISIT TIME: 1 HOUR
This is the most elegant space in New York and I adore it. It is two floors devoted to early twentieth-century German and Austrian art and design. I really enjoy looking at the Decorative Arts section and how they relate to the absolutely sensuous works by Klimt, Schiele and Kokoschka, particularly the design of Hoffman, who I discovered here first. It was founded by Serge Sabarsky and Ronald S. Lauder (as in Estée Lauder) as a philanthropic project. Café Sabarsky emulated the Viennese coffee shop style and should be factored into every visit.
NEW MUSEUM
WEBSITE: WWW.NEWMUSEUM.ORG
VISIT TIME: 1 HOUR
The New Museum, celebrating its 40th year in 2017, is the art-incubator space in New York. The founder (Marcia Tucker) identified a gap in the market for a serious exhibition space for living artists, whose work might be out of sync for the traditional museum model. The award-winning eight-story building was designed by Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa/SANAA and is impossible to miss for how its white block facade contrasts the surrounding buildings. It is a good place to experience work that tackles current issues and themes.
THE NOGUCHI MUSEUM
WEBSITE: WWW.NOGUCHI.ORG
VISIT TIME: 1 HOUR
Just a hop over from Manhattan to Queens, the Noguchi Museum and Garden was founded and designed by the artist himself. The space, true to his art, is contemplative, simple, elegant and beautiful. The gardens are a quiet oasis. The museum continues to exhibit shows of other artists (mostly sculptors it seems) but it really is the place to admire Noguchi’s sculptures in an impactful setting. Isolated when established in a desolate part of New York, the area now has developed into a cultural hub, with an alliance formed between the local spaces. It is a great place to quietly clear your head.
PACE GALLERY NEW YORK
Far right image: Photography by Thomas Loof, courtesy Pace Gallery
WEBSITE: PACEGALLERY.COM
VISIT TIME: 30 MINS
In 2019, Pace opened its most ambitious flagship space in New York’s Chelsea, comprising of 8 floors and 75,000sq feet of exhibition space. Pace represents some of the best known and most exciting artists of our time so it is always worth popping in to see what is on in any of their spaces (they have locations in New York, London, Seoul, Geneva, and Palo Alto). This new flagship building is more like a small museum than a commercial gallery and when you go, make sure to enjoy the sculptures installed on the roof, framed with the backdrop of warehouses and the New York skyline.
THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
WEBSITE: WHITNEY.ORG
VISIT TIME: 1 HOUR
Devoted to exhibiting and collecting American works of art from the 20th and 21st century, the collection was founded from the private holdings of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney in the 30’s. It moved in 2015 from the upper east side ‘museum mile’ to its current location in the vibrant meatpacking district, next to the High Line, making it a stop in the tour of the area, which is fun to hang out in. Apart from the collection displays and temporary exhibitions, it hosts a Biennial of American Art that features performance, experimental, and video art, so you will get to see some really cutting-edge art. When visiting I forget that it is devoted to American art, a testament to how diverse America is, culturally speaking.