- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Museum of Modern Art
Rating Details »
Category: Museums
Neighborhood: Midtown East11 W 53rd St
(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10019
(212) 708-9400
- Nearest Transit:
-
5th Ave-53rd St (E, V)
47-50th Sts-Rockefeller Center (B, D, F, V)
Lexington-3rd Aves-51st St (6, E, V)
- Hours:
Mon., Wed-Thu. 10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Fri. 10:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
387 reviews for Museum of Modern Art
If I could marry a museum, it would be this one.
I love every bit of it, even down to it's obnoxious ripped up piece of paper under a glass on a pedestal.
My next trip to NYC this is a MUST GO TO!
The collection is so extensive and purely amazing and completly ORGASMIC!
Loved it!!!
Had a few artists I love: DuChamp and Paul McCarthy! Love them!
Only if my feet didn't hurt.. I woulda been here all day!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (3)
- Cool (1)
An Andrew Jackson for some culture? That seems fair....
MoMA is a must do. For me I enjoy the beautiful outdoor space featuring a pond. The juxtaposition of the musuem's modern architecture against the neighboring older building is breathtaking. I had to take a conference call out here and it couldn't have been better. Kids were at play and the sky (albeit cloudy) was beautiful to look at. The exhibits change so I won't go into great detail but the layout is nice. Go in the morning to avoid the day crowd and then definitely have lunch at one of the musuem restaurants (see my review of the bar room).
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (2)
Modern Art museums confuse me a little bit.
I see things I like, and you can see the talent that so many people have.
But blank canvases confuse me.
Does this mean I could be an artist too?
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (1)
I like to think I know a thing or two about art, I know what I like and what I dont like....
I LOVEEEEE this place! The way it looks, the smell, everything....
So many awesome works of art here, from the ones that make you go "really???" to the ones that make you go "dammnnnn" !
Cost is 20 bucks, but SOOO worth it! This really got my creative juices going... this museum is a MUST if your ever in NYC. Me likeyyyy ALOT!!!!
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
Where else can you pay $20 per person to watch a huge projector screen a woman furiously brushing her hair or a larger-than-life-sized balloon animal on the roof made out of gods-knows-what, or maybe a room full of string?
Nowhere! But you can here!
I don't know what it is about art that I like when I like it, except that it moves me. And some stuff here does that. Contrarily, some stuff here looks like something I, the completely untalented in any artistic way, artistic spaz could've made.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
The collecton is so impressive. There is so much to see and every piece was as exquisite at the other. Prepare to spend at least a whole day there. Or, if you are lucky to live closed to the museum, you have to come back again and again. When I went a couple weeks ago, there was a Monet exhibit. I loved everything I saw and hope to go back very soon.
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
Quite simply one of my favorite places on this earth.
A Chinese man took all the worldly possessions his mother owned - soap bars, plastics bottles, shoes, boxes, Styrofoam containers, even pieces of her house - and laid them all out in a colossal display that allowed passersby to step through a woman's life and the collective values and culture of a national era.
A Belgian artist decided that play-masks and death would occupy a large portion of his oeuvre.
Someone else had the cool idea of having thousands of people who walked into a white-walled room record their height on the walls around them. Many, many heights later you see a perfectly straight line of averages cross through the room...statistics at work.
Where else would we house these social experiments and visionary representations of life as we know it (and how it could be)?
The MoMA in New York City joins world-class modern art museums in San Fran, Paris, Berlin, and London as an excellent space to see true modern creative genius at work.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (3)
Love.
Electronic art? Love.
Abstract sculpture? Love
I don't really know shit bout art. I just know it from it's correlations through music. And anything that reminds me of minimalist, microtonal, or otherwise avant garde music is going to make me happy to look at.
Love. I wish I lived in this damn museum. Or at least be a security guard here. Forget being a famous jazz musician. I want to be a security guard at MoMa.
I came here as a tourist in May. I envy the people of New York to be sourrounded by such beautiful and wonderful things. I honestly cried coming in here, because I never thought I would ever enter the MOMA.
I bought that visitor pass thing, so it wasn't too bad.
6 Floors of fun!
You get your Picasso, Dali, Van Gogh.......and yes the Warhols!
The pop art was fabulous, I loved it. The interior design exhibition was wonderful as well, so many beautiful things to stare at.
BE prepared to spend an entire day here, esp if you're a tourist and want to see everything, it takes a day to get through all the exhibits, cuz they are so breathtaking.
As Tourists, PLEAZE BE READY AT THE COUNTER! NY is very fast paced...and they will skip over you if you are not ready.
There was some of the modern art though..that made me go "Ok, who did this artist blow to get this crap in here?" but maybe I "dont' get it" oh well. :D Still fun to see.
They had some of R. Crumbs stuff as well, I almost cried seeing it. I was just happy to see one of my favorite cartoonist there.
And there was an exhibit of Morrisey/Smith's covers for their records, that was rad. :D
The Exhibits were fantastic. Lots of great things to see. :D
YOU MUST GO!!!
CHECK IT OUT!
New York City..you are beautiful.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (2)
Absolutely love the MoMA. Back in my uneducated art days, I'd favor the Met, just because of the sheer size, beauty and collection. However, if you're strapped for time, need to take around some tourists, and can hit only one of the big three, I strongly suggest the MoMA. I'm not taking anything away from the Met, but that place is HUGE. What the MoMA lacks in quantity, it completely makes up for in quality, making it easy to hit up in two hours or less. And while it's similarly sized as the Guggenheim, it's MUCH enjoy and holds significantly more quality pieces (Wright's architectural masterpiece aside).
As a primer, here's the paintings you absolutely have to see.
After buying your ticket, go to the 5th floor. The first painting most people go to is Starry Night. So here's where I drop that I'm not a huge Van Gogh fan, but this last time I went with the girlfriend, and Starry Night is her favorite painting, and her explanations of how he textured the colors and paints has given me a new found appreciation. Anyway, this is the painting everyone comes to see.
My personal favorite sits across Starry Night, and it is Picasso's masterpiece, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. I remember reading a publication (Time, perhaps?) that called this painting the most important painting of the 20th century, and I can't say I disagree. It really represents the turning point from hundreds of years of art that represents the eye to the past century of art that represents the mind. Further, between the size and the oddity, it's also visually captivating.
The entire cubist exhibit is particularly engaging, as you notice Picasso and Braque's progression from (relatively) "normal" art to increasingly cubist. Make sure to walk in order. The rest of the fifth floor features other prominent artists, including a strong showing of Matisse, Cezanne, etc.
I believe on the other side of the fifth floor is Dali's The Persistence of Memory. The first time I visited the MoMA, this painting was on loan. This time around, I almost missed it, as I had absolutely no idea how small the thing was. It's almost more visually arresting when you see it parodied on say, The Simpsons.
There's a nice collection of Mondrian paintings, a personal favorite of mine. The most famous is Broadway Boogie Woogie.
Go down to the 4th floor to check out some of the more modern art. The best one is the Jackson Pollock. It's more visually arresting than the one in the Met, but because of its placement, there's much more foot traffic. Whereas you can be alone with Pollock at the Met, there's always someone else around you at the MoMA. Still, a fantastic painting.
The other biggie is Andy Warhol's well-known Campbell's Soup Cans. I'm more partial to his silk screen portraits, but seeing all the cans at once is pretty neat too.
I could probably go on and on, but I'll stop there. The contemporary galleries are...interesting. I'm more a fan of art history rather than appreciating art visually, so maybe that's why I pass by this area. They're currently featuring an amazing exhibit where a Chinese artist is displaying everything (and I mean ev-er-y-thing) that existed in his mother's house as art. No joke, this is exactly what Asian households look like.
Just as an FYI, the museum is closed Tuesdays and shuts down at 5:30 (a pretty early time) every day except Friday. I believe Friday evenings are currently free admission, which is awesome.
If you have one hour to kill, see this museum. Think it can't be done, oh, it can. I assure you. It will be the best one-hour you have ever spent in your life viewing different modern art. Paintings, photos, sculptures, architecture, pop art, and Americana, this museum has something for everybody.
When there is a gigantic line to get in, just tell the security guard that you're going into the gift shop...BADA BING...BADA BOOM...you're in like Flynn baby.
Yes, you can spend all day here. Hell, you can spend all day at any New York City museum, but who has that time? When you're on the New York minute, you always have more places to go to and people to see.
If there's any one museum in NYC you need to visit, this is it. Not only does it house some of the most breath-taking works of art in all the world, it also houses works of art that are cultural icons, by artists who are cultural icons themselves. Some of my favourites are: Roy Lichtenstein's Drowning Girl, Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe, Jasper Johns' Flag, Rousseau's Sleeping Gypsy, and of course, Van Gogh's Starry Night.
I'd always like browsing through the Architecture and Design Galleries on the third floor. There are some pretty cool stuff that would get anyone inspired. I made the mistake of visiting on a Friday. It's free admission after 4pm on Fridays sponsored by Target... BUT the catch is heavy tourist crowds. OMG, it was unbearable to go at your own pace without having a crowd pushing through with cameras & camcorders.
So, great NYC bargain, but it's not pleasant & not comfortable to perusal through.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
I got in for free because of the NYC pass or else I would not pay full price to get in. I'm not much for really crazy modern stuff but I do appreciate most of the collection here. But honestly, my reaction to most of the art displays were : "I can do that." There were exhibits that had a framed piece of paper with a pencil line in the middle. Come on now! There was a long piece of paper with a single typewritten number. Great!
I did love the paintings though.
I'm sure the artsy people would love all 6 floors pure modern art.
Oh, Museum of Modern Art , I think you are the best place I have ever gone to see art. I am totally enamored and crazy about you !Yes better than the Louvre ,better than my boyfriend's Nagel collection and even better than , hold your breath, wait for it ....the Matisse exhibit in Vegas, Yep, it was that good.
I really loved everything from the slick modernized feel , the way- cool pictures you have seen everywhere in life, to the Tupperware cups in the Architectural design area. Who knew Tupperware was in the MOMA?
My highlights include:
Starry Night by Van Gogh , Christina's World by Wyeth , The Architectural design wing, The Rousseau, watching my daughter become delighted with pictures she has seen in Art Class ( thank you , Ms. Naylor) , the super cool hand dryer in the bathroom and the giant Matisse .
Tons of Picasso , Pollack , Miro and Kandinsky..this place rocks.
People thought this was:
- Useful (7)
- Funny (3)
- Cool (6)
A visit by a friend, who lives in Houston, gave me the perfect opportunity to tour the MoMA for the first time since its complete renovation and grand reopening five years ago, and I don't hesitate to tell you that this is something I should have done years ago.
My first target was the James Ensor exhibition, which did not disappoint. I finally had a chance to take in the breadth and depth of the Belgian master's imagination and artistic skill. Anyone who has the chance to visit New York City in the next two and a half months shouldn't miss this. I then made my way through the halls devoted to Impressionism and post-Impressionism, which were equally compelling.
The one disappointment, other than the fact that I only had an hour and a half to make my way through six floors of spectacular artwork-I didn't even manage to take in the floor devoted to architecture-was that I wasn't able to see Monet, because the collection is on loan to a museum in Atlanta, Georgia.
Of course, any museum devoted exclusively to modern art is going to have some aspects that grate on my personality, e.g. exhibitions extolling the virtues of some forgettable conceptual artist or execrable piece of PoMo drivel passing itself off as "art," or a series examining prefabricated/modular homes. That being said, I still think that this museum is a cultural treasure, which everyone living in New York City should be proud of.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (2)
Summergarden - incredible music, crazy old-people.
MoMA is an amazing institution, and has brought me more memorable experiences than any other museum I've been to. They are a truly engaging museum. From their played-out, but still super fun, P.S.1 warm up series, to Summergarden, and more.
A couple of nights ago, I checked out Summergarden with a friend. I thought it was going to be standard classical music, played in the sculpture garden at MoMA. Judging by the crowd and the context there was nothing to steer my prejudices in another direction.
Then, the music started. The young Julliard performers whooshed their bows quickly and forcefully through the air - in synchrony and with great abruptness. It was a jolting start that made it clear that this was not going to be a standard performance.
Immediately and throughout their performance they played on the full range of their instruments capabilities, accentuating and making rhythmic what would normally be considered mistakes on each instrument. They played the full range, either in time with each other or overlaying one another.
It was a fantastic and powerful performance, and I was only momentarily distracted by the crazy old woman who brought her rabbit to the performance, in a freakin pet stroller (no joke: http://justpetstroller...).
I definitely recommend Summergarden, and plan to bring my chinchilla, once I get one of those fancy pet strollers.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (2)
So they have a huge plaster cast of a penis hung by a hook as a tribute by the artist to all the things she loves...and as I'm walking by I notice a little cute family of 3...mom and 2 preschoolers all having a lovely day surrounded by thoughts to canvas and other materials...
mom:"..and this one looks like a penis to me..."
...a few moments of silence pass as she walks up to the little card describing the piece and artist....
mom:" yes, it is a penis..I was correct! " ;-)
6 floors of some awesome priceless ideas as well as some worthless garbage.(string tacked to a wall or an empty box with a artist name on a piece of paper next to it is not art...maybe getting you to pay $20 to look at it is;p)
is it worth the minimal $20...it could be.
great people watching. sometimes just sitting down and watching the people react to certain pieces is worth the effort and afternoon.
great way to press reset in your mind.
on a beautiful summer day, the outdoor sculpture garden is more awesome a place to closely listen to the voices you've been neglecting for so long.
if you haven't and are in the area or country...just do it.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
this place is WAY too hipster for me.
i went to see waterlilies, i ended up seeing sketches that could have easily been made by four year olds.
now i realize i'm being a little hard on MoMA. but i like modern art, i like post modern art. i'm a huge fan of the Neue Sachlichkeit movement so i figured i'd see some of that and i'd be happy. maybe because of the shear size of the place i missed out on some great work but what i saw was.... how do i say it..... blahhhhh. maybe i'm just not culturally inclined enough to appreciate a piece of paper with a single line of tape running down the middle as art.
i did see some chagal though, and i LOVE LOVE LOVE him so i guess taking 15 dollars out of an already empty bank account was worth it?...
People thought this was:
- Useful (5)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (3)
Do you have to be a picture to see a picture?
this was the unavoidable question confronting me at MOMA'a member preview for the Monet water lillies exhibit. Seems like most of the people there thought so. the roar of the greasepaint, as they say. i say, there was a lot of makeup around, often startling in its dedication to facade. oh, so you think mj's face was cooolllll....
oh well.
Monet's water lillies, or at least some of them, were displayed in a small room. of the 40 or so in existence, most are in Paris at the Orangerie in a setting designed by the great man himself. but a few have made it to the New World, beginning in 1955 MOMA had the insight to bring them in to contrast with the big abstract expressionist art they were mostly running with, which was a brilliant idea when you think about it.
in this exhibit there was one big triptych and one big one-piece, which were stunning except that they are so familiar by now that there's just not much you can still discover about them. unless you're seeing them for the first time, but who is doing that these days? even the little boxes offered descriptions that basically said, here is a water lillies painting made out of paint that was inspired by the pond in the garden... there were also maybe five small panels, which were studies for the big ones and not intended for sale by Monet back then, who did not even sign them. his estate "stamped" a signature on them in 1950 when they released them. these panels were decent but i wouldn't caravan across a desert just to see them. maybe unsurprisingly, not many people went up to the second floor gallery for the viewing, in contrast to the Van Goghs that you had to wait in line for half an hour at the preview last year just to squeeze into the room.
oh well.
and for some reason the whole museum was not as jam packed as these events usually are. curious, but no problem. it was a beautiful night and the sculpture garden was really the place to be. the sunsetting sky was mottled with clouds tinged just slightly with purple and the blue behind those, and the glass walls were so polished that the world looked even better as a smokey reflection than reality. i was solo this time, so i was totally free to take everything in. and i mean everything.
the kicker was the ipod. i love my ipod. i put the earbuds in, cranked it, and wandered. suddenly the event became my own private dream and i drifted around and just stared and stared. at the people. at the garden. at the buildings surrounding. at the sky. at the people. at the people. the art, as i said, was absorbed in about 15 minutes but there were three open bars, one of them outside in the garden. the drink special, in honor of monsieur monet, was a french sangria concoction. i remember at the dali event they were giving out a crazy blue thing that looked like a glass of carcinogen. the van gogh was something called death in the afternoon. MOMA rocks in so many ways. luckily i happened upon the one bartender that really did it up right, with the mixture, the cocktail shaker, the strawberry, and the little glass. the other guys just did a pitcher pour -- wait-- does anyone really care? ok, too much detail, but i kept coming back for four -- i mean more -- and soon i was pretty much tripping. i found one song* that MELDED and locked it into repeat for an hour and a half. it was WONDERFUL. i love ipods and i love MOMA parties with open bars.
it's hard to describe how buzzy and sexy and trippy and fun it is to attend these MOMA receptions, all dressed up in your finest, making mental photographs of the suntanned super rich europeans with thick hair, skin you can practically taste, missoni color explosions and gold rings, old guys who used to be painters, old ladies who love to look at art and kvetch about it, young extremely ordinary office workers still searching for the reason they took being prep school debs so seriously, trying to make it work but looking increasingly alienated, automatic and empty despite the designer handbags, sex and the city fantasies and enough makeup to feed Africa. and of course, me, wandering about with my earbuds, french sangria, armani suit, balinese gold necklace, and liisa c's favorite watch. all in a night's work, y'all.
if this isn't nice, what is?
(*for the curious, it was Deliver Me by Robin Holcomb)
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (3)
I liked this museum a lot. I mean, how can you not love a collection that includes Picassos, Dalis, Warhols, and Van Goghs? I'll admit that I don't much understand modern art, but it is in the eye of the beholder right? I kept thinking about Private Pile and how he "was so ugly he could be a modern art masterpiece!". The Starry Night that I spent a lot of time admiring certainly is. Love leaning in to check out Vincent's brushwork. Some really cool galleries and exhibits here. The outdoor sculpture garden is perfect for a nice day. Also loved the architecture and classic rock exhibit. The old pics of the Clash, Lennon, KISS, Led Zep and others were really cool and reminded me of a time when music was made by gods with instruments and not some overhyped dancers.
Definitely a place to check out in NYC.
I'm of two minds when it comes to modern art. On the one hand...c'mon, anyone can do some of that stuff. A line on a piece of paper? On the other hand...they were the artist inspired to create whatever they created, whether complicated or not, and you cannot take that genius away. Plus there is always the classic modern art if you cannot understand the new modern art.
In any case, MoMA is a fantastic showcase of any art. The building is fantastic, a true warren of exhibits. Sometimes you will stumble upon an installation piece with the artist live, sometimes you will find yourself staring at a Van Gogh without realizing how you got there.
MoMA is certainly worth a visit. While all the arts can use our support, unless you are a fan, perhaps utilize the student discount or a sponsored free night to explore, rather than feeling like you paid $20 for something that does not interest you.
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
Stunning!
Last time we were in NYC MoMA was closed so this was my first visit. My first feelings were what a great Café, hungry we headed straight for lunch.
Then we entered the Museum Galleries and I have to tell you it was overwhelming. I've seen a lot of art over the years, and loved it, but this collection of modernist art is akin to arts greatest hits, the top 100, the top 1000. I spent 8 hours, yes 8 hours in this place and left still feeling a sense of almost shock at the wealth of the collection. I felt almost a little dumb for not realising before the enormity of US private collectors activity in the 20th century. But I thank them all for leaving their collections to MoMA.
If you like art then you have to go, simple as that.
Some details I loved were the mix of design and photography within an art museum. The Sculpture Garden for recovering but not the iced coffee. The Paul McCarthy piece 'Penis Hat' which may well have a 'serious' mesage but made me laugh out loud, always a winner in my art opinion.
how to properly spend a recession friday in new york:
- meet your fellow unemployed friends at 4pm for happy hour. drink as many $2.50 beers as you can. there's nothing like being daytime drunk to make you forget your problems!
- head to MoMA where it's free to get in every friday from 4-8pm. thank your corporate sponsor, target.
- ogle hot european tourists while viewing the museum's spectacular permanent collection and current exhibits. realize that art can make you feel better than alcohol!
- use the free polaroid application on your iphone and run around the sculpture garden taking silly photos and emulating art (see profile pic). throw pennies in the fountain and make wishes.
- leave the museum at 8 and if you're lucky, bring a hot european tourist home with you...(safe) sex is free, kids!*
- spend some cerebral capital and write your first yelp review in months.
- repeat next friday.
total cost for 3 beers, a serious dose of culture, hot european tourists and maybe your wish granted: $10.01.
*note: kidding! i did not do this. unfortunately.
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Funny (3)
- Cool (4)
Wednesday afternoon, 6/3/09
The museum itself is a very open space that is lovely to walk through. I wish I had a date, but I couldn't find one on craigslist -- only AIM chat bots that advertised webcam girls..
Anyhoo, I love to shit on contemporary art. It's amusing though, to walk through and stop at ones that catch your eye, take a few seconds to fail at finding merit in them, capture that moment on film, then move on. It is a decent time-passer.
What captured my heart though, was the design section. I took my sweet time looking at all the cool stuff, and wanting to buy half the exhibit. Someday, when the recession is over.
For the amount of time you can spend here at such a reasonable price, I highly recommend this place!
I am not a huge modern art fan... but I think that the museum is worth visiting at least once (mostly for tourists). It's not worth paying for, especially for $20 admission, but I would recommend taking advantage of the Friday Afternoon 4-8 free admission. The wait is pretty long, but that's nothing new for New York.
There is a lot of space to cover if you're interested in seeing everything, and the art is laid out well. However, the exhibits do not change very often, so there's not much of a point to going too often. The gift shop has some interesting knick-knacks... anything of decent quality is expensive, and there are some very cheap novel toys for little kids.
The modern restaurant is attached, and DEFINITELY worth trying if you don't mind spending some serious money. See separate review on The Modern.
Modern/contemporary art at its finest, with lots of rotations. Everything's fresh, everything's explained while still opening interpretations. Ain't that awesome?
Just make sure you know how to fight the crowd and hold your breath when someone exceptionally smelly comes into the room. Because the odor can travel. Fast. Otherwise, happy art-hunting!
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
MOMA is free on Fridays 4-8, which is the perfect pre-date date for a Friday night. Plus the free fridays bring out all the cool people. Most of the time it's a hefty $20.
MOMA is full of mind expanding goodness, and plenty of stimulating visual goodness. Sadly I'm lucky if I make it here more than once a year. Is this the "above 14th street syndrome" that people talk about?
So people might read this and think I'm a hater, but I LOVE art. Unfortunately for me, MoMA was overrated, so I'm a slight MoMA hater??? And this is really disappointing because I could not wait to go here! Out of the 6 floors, only 4 and 5 were worthwhile to me--I am admittedly into paintings over architectural works, so I enjoyed Klimt, James Ensor, Warhol, Van Gogh, and the likes. The other floors were a combo of overly abstract and overly simple, I was pretty sure I made some of those in the 3rd grade--they might have raided all of the crap from my elementary school years. Still an experience since art is in the eye of the beholder, so I'm glad I went. I wouldn't deter anyone from going, but this museum gets a ton of hype so I think expectations are super high when you go to this museum.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
This place is huge. It has 6 floors (I think) but the most important ones are the 4th and 5th floors. I wish I knew that since we started from the first one! This place was very overwelming, especially on free Fridays that is sponsored by Target from 4p on. The current modern achitecture exhibit was interesting, but for the most part, boring. Very Ikea (probably since I'm not in the industry). The audio tour was minimal and I didn't like how they have your government-issued ID on hold until you return it.
They did have Warhol, Chagall, Gauguin and Kahlo from what I remember. The variety was awesome, but again, overwelming. You should just pay and come here when you have time and when there aren't a lot of people. Also, do not wear 5-inch heels like I did! I was not very pleased at the end of the night b/c my feet hurt (my bad).
Would recommend if you've never come here. Also, bring your camera, it's acceptable with no flash. And it's more casual than Guggenheim.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
It is a sad testament to overcrowding that a gallery such as MoMA can be quite so unenjoyable.
We went at 10.30 on a Friday morning in a off peak time of year. We hoped, we paid (as it is free post 4pm on a Friday) that you would be able to peruse the art at a leisurely and enjoyable pace. Unfortunately, the place is bit like an unkempt motorway. Large tracts of groups funnelling through and stopping to refuel at art, the galleries being so unsupervised that people were actually touching art and it seemed to be a local speciality to take flash pictures of yourself in front of pieces (why oh why do people feel the need to take bad flash pictures of modern art when perfectly shot pictures are in the giftshops and you therefore don't need to damage the paintings by exposing them to repeated camera flashes).
It is a real shame MoMA goes down the path of unlimited entry in an effort to (i) get more money, or, (ii) open art to the masses (I would guess they are more focused with option (i) than (ii)). This is especially so as their rapacious money making efforts have enabled them to buy an outstanding baseball set of modern art. Some rooms you enter are hung top to toe with piece after piece, crowded in with little care apart from a form of art postage stamp consumerism. As you eye drifts between the 40 to 50 pieces stuck in grid formation to the wall you can just go tick, tick, tick, that's famous.
Where they do put an effort into curating art, rather than just splurging it on the walls, the results can be great. The Tangled Alphabets: León Ferrari and Mira Schendel exhibition is brilliant but, once again, undone by the masses.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
New York's MoMA is without question one of the better modern art museums in the world. The collection is unmatched, offering a good assortment of familiar "modern" classics (Starry Night, loads of Picasso, Dali, Warhol) as well as some more unusual and experimental modern and pop art (think Dan Flavin, Eva Hesse, etc). The lay out of the museum could be somewhat better, as it is definitely possible to get through a wing and realize you have missed a room. And I can't wrap my head around spending $20 to get into a museum after having been spoiled by the free museums in London. Still, it's an experience that should not be missed by any visitor or native to Manhattan.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
while the ticket price may be high if you aren't a member, this museum serves as a fantastic complement to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's more historically significant collection offering a look into the more abstract world of painting within the last 100 years. While its true a lot of the work in here could easily be passed off as pretentious art non-sense the collection has enough famous works sprinkled in to make it worth a trip even if you know next to nothing about the art world.
You can expect a lot of Picasso, that famous Salvador Dali melting clocks painting and a fairly extensive collection of pop art. MoMA even has a lot of contemporary weirdness from the past few years but not nearly as much as their sister museum P.S.1 (you get free admission to this place with your ticket to MoMA).
Apart from their large collection, MoMA has fantastic tastes in events and film screenings. The Pixar exhibit they had a few years ago was nothing short of phenomenal, especially as a Pixar fanboy. They also screen a lot of things that I absolutely love, one summer they showed Pink Flamingos at least once a week, among other things. This fall they have an exhibit showcasing the art of film director Tim Burton and if their past events are any indication, I'm as excited for this as possible.
If you are a student make sure to bring your ID for a discount, Pratt students even get in for free, if not make sure to come on Friday between 4 and 8 pm for free admission.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (2)
In comparison to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, I think I like The Metropolitan Museum of Art more just because there they offer more varsities. But that doesn't mean it's not worth going to Museum of Modern Art.
Make sure you wore comfortable shoes because there is a lot to see. O~ bring student ID if you are student because you get a discount.
As the name implied, all the art is very modern.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (3)
Im sorry but 20$ to get in is a bit much...
ONE the art work does not rotate that much....
Two always always crowded and cant even look at a painting...
Three... the only reason i didn't give it one star is because i knew someone who exhibited there...
Four...some of the exhibits are so small its like thats IT?
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (2)
A definite must for anyone visiting New York. Even if you're not into art, you'll find something here to appreciate it. I won't go into detail about Starry Night because you just have to see it up close for yourself. It's absolutely breathtaking. There's a sense of peace that I think many feel and relate to when they look at it. You really just need to see it. I won't even really talk about the famous works by Picasso, Dali (except one), or Warhol. I'm pretty sure that they're known the world over, and there's plenty of reviews to let you know what I've been saying in this paragraph. JUST GO!
Anyway, here are a few highlights from my 4 hour stay at MoMA:
an exhibition where music from the late 70s to early 80s and art collide. Musicians include Blondie, The Ramones, Patti Smith, and Fab 5 Freddy to name a few. The exhibition had headphones for you to listen to the music while you viewed the corresponding art piece. I thought a Basquiat piece and a hip hop song by Rammellzee and K-Rob called Beat Bop really meshed well due to the raw detail of the graffiti piece and the honest poetic flow of the music.
A performance piece by Roman Ondak called Measuring the Universe; it's right next to the music exhibition. Guests are invited to have their name written on the walls according to their height. It's so cool to see how the piece has taken it's own shape and continues to form differently everyday.
An exhibition of modern design furniture. There were a number of Eames chairs that I've always wanted to see; those chairs are constantly replicated, but I don't think it can be matched to the original. I laughed at the Sweet Dreams Security with heart shaped padlocks, and ducks and bunnies for railheads. I think you can actually purchase a Sweet Dreams Security Gate. They apparently have an online store?
Btw, I never realized how phallic art is. There is also an Art Erotica space too. Penis everywhere. My favorite piece was Retrospective Bust of a Woman by Dali. There is a long piece of bread that sits atop the woman's head that is supposed to represent the penis. Ants are crawling on her face which is a means to say that women need to be eaten. Oh! And if you want more penis, you'll find one hanging from the ceiling, can't miss it.
Parents watch your kids. Some art pieces are furniture but they are definitely not meant to be used. I saw a kid get chewed out by one of the guards in front of his mother. Awkward.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
I went for the first time recently and got in free since it was free Friday's. I spent 2 hours walking around which was about the right amount of time before over saturation was going to kick in for me.
I loved the Warhol and cubism and even got a chance to see a temporary installation of some really neat polish posters 1945-89.
I'd say go. The crowd that was there because it was free didn't bother me personally. In fact I thought it was neat to see so many people just soaking in art. Such a rare experience.
A walk through time square after felt like an extension of the museum as the lights and advertisements seemed to be the the most recent chapter in the history of modern art.
MOMA always gets good and substantial exhibits. Although a $20 entry may seem steep you won't think so after your visit. There is so much to see that you will spend at least 2 hours your first time there.
The only reason MOMA does not get 5 stars is because of how crowded it is. It almost makes it not enjoyable to see the exhibits.
And to the jappy girls who think it's ok to talk on your cell phone at a museum: please leave.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Funny (1)
- Cool (1)
