5.21.2009

Finally! The Modern Wing of the Art Institute Opens!


Before my temporary permanent employment at BMO, I had one gloriously free unemployed week in the freezing snow of January. During that week, I took my lazy unemployed butt to the Art Institute to stand in the midst of centuries of other lazy unemployed but artistic geniuses' work. As I wandered through my favorite European galleries I arrived at the American Contemporary section which while lovely felt incomplete. The large “Work in Progress” sign by the back staircase suggested I was right. The AI was still missing a piece.

For months afterwards when I would visit the museum, I go to the back of the museum with anticipation excepting those juxtaposing “work in progress” signs to me gone, replaced by fulfilling gallery of modern art.

This week I can say it was well worth the wait. The new modern wing opened with much hype last Saturday. Always the pessimist, I went with guarded hopes of seeing a few inspirational pieces. Instead I was greeted with three, yes three, floors of modern art ranging from photography to video to furniture to those odd unclassifiable pieces.

Needless to say I was impressed.

Not only was the wing chocked full of modern art goodness, the wing itself was a work of architectural wonder. Natural light filters into each gallery, sometimes in direct contrast to the harshly cold and modern pieces and sometimes in harmony with more subtle works of photography and paintings. The view includes a span of the almost futuristic Millennium Park and, on my visit to the new wing, the Chase 5K run- very modern indeed. Even from the outside the wing seems to have steel wings welcoming in visitors from the lake.

And for the first week, the gallery was free to peruse! Yes Chicago has corrupt politicians, failing newspapers and a crumbling public transportation system but we do up the art right good!

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