The sequel is a notoriously dicey—though sometimes brilliant—film enterprise, be it Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Empire Strikes Back, or my personal favorite at the age of twelve, The Karate Kid, Part II. After the first round of 30 Seconds videos, in which MoMA staff and members created short videos with filmmaker Thilo Hoffmann, we invited Thilo back late last year. The results are in, and you can now see selected videos by staff and members. Read more
Posts in category ‘Behind the Scenes’
May 21, 2010
|
Conservation
Conservation of Floor Cake (Part 6)
At AIC, Cindy Albertson and Margo Delidow discuss the history and treatment of Floor Cake
We’ve taken a short break from writing about Claes Oldenburg’s iconic Floor Cake sculpture—currently undergoing conservation treatment here at MoMA—to prepare a lecture for last week’s annual meeting of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC), in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Conservators, educators, and scientists gather each year to discuss new types of treatments for works of art and to examine the effects of past treatment. Our presentation focused on the history of Floor Cake and its condition (please see our previous posts), as we have been working to conserve this unique and popular work for the past several months. Read more
May 17, 2010
|
Behind the Scenes,
Graphic Design,
Library and Archives
Protect Me from What I Want
In previous posts we’ve showcased exhibition and wayfinding graphic developments and looked at interesting ephemera created by the Graphic Design department throughout MoMA’s past. This post is about a much more humble, but extremely important, type of design: the warning sign. These signs are created for a wide range of purposes—to prevent overcrowding in the galleries, to prevent damage to the artwork or Museum spaces, to alert people about potentially controversial artworks in the galleries, etc.—and they represent a collaboration between Graphic Design and the Curatorial, Legal, Visitor Services, and/or Education departments. Some signs, such as room-capacity notices, are required by law; others, such as the “warning” notices at the entrance to the Marina Abramović exhibition, are more of a courtesy. They all have one thing in common: they’re designed to make sure each guest has a safe and fun time at MoMA. The slide show above includes just a few of the signs we’ve made over the years. Enjoy… at your own risk!
May 14, 2010
|
MoMA Stores
Discovering Portuguese Design
Whistler Cork Creamer, Sugar, Cups, and Teapot from Destination: Portugal
We recently travelled through Lisbon, Porto, and beyond to find products for our eighth Destination: Design collection, which introduces designers and design themes from around the world. This year’s collection—Destination: Portugal—highlights lifestyle products usually found only in Portugal, and the selection process was an exciting journey for us. We had a number of partners for the project, including Ministry of Culture, Portugal; TemaHome; Turismo de Portugal; aicep Portugal Global; and Fundação de Serralves, who helped introduce us to Portuguese designers, artisans, and manufacturers creating everything from umbrellas and filigree jewelry to furniture, teapots, weather predictors, and notebooks. Read more
April 29, 2010
|
Behind the Scenes,
Collection/New Acquisitions
MoMA Offsite: European Stay-cation?
Chris Ofili. Prince amongst Thieves. 1999
Much of the dust—er, ash—has settled in Europe, and those marooned there by Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano are trickling back home. Nonetheless, when airspace was finally cleared mid–last week, there were reports of half-empty planes returning from some of the most afflicted cities, such as Zurich and London. I know a handful of people whose airlines will not honor tickets at their original prices until April 29 or later, so perhaps this in part explains the sparsely populated jets. But one must also consider the Europeans who may have canceled trips and vacations to the States completely. How many of those people will therefore miss a planned trip to MoMA, I wonder?!? It is with this concern in mind that I drafted this MoMA Offsite entry. Perhaps it’s too rash to predict for Europe the trend of the “stay-cation” (which swept our nation last year due to factors altogether different, of course), but nonetheless I’d like our members, friends, and supporters there to know that many MoMA works are on view in Europe at this time. Read more
April 23, 2010
|
Tim Burton,
Behind the Scenes
Burton Farewell: Installing the Exhibition
Curator Ron Magliozzi and the exhibitions team install Tim Burton
The installation of the Tim Burton show took thirteen days, beginning on October 28, 2009, and ending (save some inevitable last-minute tweaking) on Friday, November 13. As the first institution given the opportunity to exhibit Burton’s unseen work, the urge to present a comprehensive selection was hard to resist. With 716 pieces of framed art, objects, and media to put in place, the pressure was on—especially since we knew that a series of special openings had been scheduled before the general public arrived: Tim’s private opening on November 16 for his friends and collaborators, a Department of Film benefit honoring Tim on November 17, and the opening reception on November 18. The realization that we would soon be hosting Johnny Depp, Danny Elfman, Helena Bonham Carter, Catherine O’Hara, Bo Welch, Glenn Shadix, Diane Wiest, Colleen Atwood, Danny DeVito, Jeffrey Jones, Crispin Glover, and others—not to mention Tim himself—added to the sense of excitement shared by everyone on the MoMA installation team. Read more
