Guggenheim Museum

5/9/2010

I love to visit museums but I don't want to spend an entire day at one.  I'm good for about two hours and then I'm done.  So for me, this place was perfect.  In under an hour and a half (at a leisurely pace), I was able to go through the entire museum.  I went during the very cool "Haunted" exhibit.  I started from the top and worked my way down.   Don't know if I was going the right way or not but it worked for me.

6/16/2007

You guys, I just don't get it.

I love Frank Lloyd Wright, really I do, but the spirals made me feel like I was going to toss my cookies.The famed facade is completely obscured by the renovation process, so no love there.

Inside, I felt like the art around the spirals was too easy to walk right past. The annex galleries felt crowded; the ceilings were too low and the art was too close together and not lit well enough. To me, modern art demands a sense of space and scale for proper display, and the Thannhauser galleries lack that.

Another serious problem with the Thannhauser collection is that very little of it is on display at any one time. So any trip is a gamble; there's no way to predict what you might see. Sure, the rotating exhibits are meant to be a grab bag. But it's a travesty to me that this museum has so much great art in its permanent collection that goes undisplayed most of the time.

Check it out during "pay what you wish" hours, Friday 6-8. If you like what you see, go back and browse at your leisure.

9/14/2007

I came here while the building was under renovation so there wasn't really a way to actually SEE the building and that's kind of the point, isn't it?

Inside, it's still looks awesome and I kept thinking of Matthew Barney's 'Cremaster 3' going, this is where the girls were in the bubbles or this is where Richard Serra was.

The shows that were up was displaying the collection of Solomon Guggenheim, which, frankly, was BO-RING.

The other show that was in the rotundas was about space and spacial relationships. THAT was cool and best of all was the Matthew Ritchie mural on the top floor.

1/13/2007

The most impressive thing about this museum is the architecture.  That's pretty much it for me.  I've been here for some special exhibitions and once just to take in the permanent collections.  Now, I'm not a huge fan of modern and contemprary art, so obviously I'm not the target audience here.  Still, I agree with other reviewers who aren't impressed with the permanent collection.  It's certainly not worth the price of admission.  If you want to see the building and collections, come for free on Friday nights.

If you're planning to come during the free Friday time (5:45 - 7:45) plan to get in line early.  I got there right at 5:45 and the line was around the block.  Yuck.

3/21/2010

I love the design of this building and taking pictures of this building.  Unlike the MET, we were able to check out everything.  Arrive early and use your student discount.

5/7/2008

You have to go there for the achitecture, if not for the paintings!
Great museum, inside and out.

9/3/2011

Go for the building. Go on Saturdays for pay what you wish.

12/2/2007

The building is under "restoration" so to speak, or at least it's facade, so don't expect to come here as a tourist and get cool pics of it right now. BUT...there is presently an exhibition of Richard Prince on display if you're into Pulp art.  See it before it closes January 9, 2008.

My favorite reason to come here...the many times I have,,,is for their selection of Kandinsky paintings.  I think they are some of his best.  I could stare at them for hours.  They're darn near mystical.  Be sure to check them out.

Another reason I like the Guggenheim is that the architecture does not interfere with, or overwhelm (read:  outshine), the art.  That's cool~

11/28/2006

A stunning space to see stunning art.  I've noticed that they've done several shows of "Greatest Hits of [insert country or genre here]."   The last two I've been to, "Russia!" and "Spanish Painting from El Greco to Picasso," were both amazing.  

Russia! was arranged chronologically. I learned more about Russian history and culture in one afternoon than I had in, well, many years of ignoring Russian history.  

The Spain show was more thematic -- there was a section on paintings of children, a section on "weeping women," a section on still lifes, etc.  I especially loved the Velazquez portraits, which were incredibly realistic, and I liked the high contrast of the subjects against black backgrounds.   There was also a remarkable crucifixion painting by Zurbaran (it's the one with three nails instead of four). I still can't get it out of my head, it was so powerfully sad and peaceful.

Audio tours are free with admission (The tours are handy if you're alone or just not the "talkative" type). Also on Fridays from 5:45 to 7:45 PM, it's pay-what-you-wish:
guggenheim.org/visit_us/…

8/18/2011

go on saturdays when it's "pay what you wish" to get in!!

unlike many other museums where students are asked to pay a "suggested donation" the guggenheim is very strict about their admissions fee. $15 w/ a valid student id. pricey, but acceptable. i like the guggenheim because there is some sort of structure/method in the way the museum presents each exhibition, as the viewer is led from floor one to floor six in a natural circular way. the way in which the museum is set up and displays art also encourage active participation from the viewer. i would even say that it promotes some sort of discourse between the two vehicles.

im not a guru on modern art and truthfully lee ufan's exhibit was a bit too abstract for my taste. but this is where the audio guide (absolutely necessary; it's free) proved extremely helpful and informative. lee ufan is a minimalist and a follower of the monoha movement. most of his pieces entailed some object found in nature (ie... ROCKS) pitted against an industrial/synthetic/man made object (steel, cotton, glass). lee ufan explores many different philosophical ideas: relativity, space & time, temporal infinitude, existence, intention & chance.

i remember one story in particular from the audio guide. young lee ufan one day asked his mother, who was washing rice with water in the kitchen. having seen his mother wash the rice day after day, he asked her, didn't she ever get bored doing the same thing over and over everyday? and his mother replied, i may be performing the same act day after day, but each time is a new and different experience for me. one day, i am delighted by the coldness of the water and my fingers running through it. another day, i hear the birds chirp through the window and am amazed by it. and on a different day, i feel the graininess of the rice and enjoy its texture with my hand.

12/16/2009

I have had better experiences at other museums and unfortunately this was the only museum we had time to visit while in NYC. I enjoyed the artwork available but there just wasn't enough to see and enough diversity. The two people that I was traveling with wanted to leave by the time we got to the second floor. I think we would have been better off at the MET or the MOMA.

3/28/2011

Worth visiting just to admire the architecture, the Guggenheim is beautifully designed.  The entire museum took about 2 hours to see, although, of course, you can take much longer.  Audio-tours are included with admission.  Prices must have increased recently because it cost $15 to get in with a student ID; full admission is $18 (not $10) for adults.  If you come later on Saturday (after 5:45 PM), it's pay as you wish, which I think would be more worthwhile and gives you enough time to see the entire museum.

1/8/2009

if you want a meditative, intellectual experience, don't go here.

my boyfriend and i literally FLED this past saturday.

crowds and crowds of loud people, many children (i say bring back "seen but not heard"), stroller, bathroom lines, ringing i-phones, crowded museum shop filled with tourist souvenirs and other crap you can buy, just in case you had cash left over after the entrance fee ...

luckily we don't pay to get in because we have special passes, but my heart goes out to those who shell out 20 bucks a head for this lousy experience ...

and on show was the catherine opie photography exhibition, depicting counter-culture warriors with sullen faces, body, scarring and tatoos.

the chasm between Opie's photographs and the hordes at the Guggenheim was ridiculous.  It was like a satirical New Yorker cartoon about yuppies - "Counter Culture at the Guggenheim on a Saturday afternoon"  ---

Given what i imagine to be Catherine Opie's feelings about mainstream American culture, I think had she been at the Guggenheim this past Saturday afternoon, she would have ripped her stuff off the walls and fled screaming....

I guess it's all part of this push to "popularize" museums, which stems from the unbearable idea that any time spent in quiet contemplation is wasted...

i say, as a masters student in art history, go to any mall in new jersey and enjoy the same experience, for free.

unless your company pays for a free pass, like my boyfriend's does. but we wish we'd gone to the mall anyway.

shame on you, guggenheim!

10/20/2009

The architecture of this building aside, which in itself is great, what is truly impressive about the many works contained in this museum is that they explore non-traditional methods of presentation.

3/22/2008

Cai Guo-Qiang exhibit was pretty cool, unique, and worth seeing.  The permanent collection was just eh, but then I'm not an artsy person so perhaps I just couldn't appreciate it.  As we left around 7pm, we still saw long lines wrap around the building.  Am not understanding why since the museum closes at 7:45...  Would suggest going earlier in the day.   Definitely start at the BOTTOM with the audio tour and walk up... the audio tour and the exhibit itself is meant to start from there.  We were stupid and started from the top.  

Corporate ID was greeted with free admission though I wouldn't mind having to pay to support the arts in the city.  The space itself is pretty cool and different, but can get awfully crowded.   There's quite a lot of construction/restoration happening on the exterior of the building.

3/26/2007

Sorry Guggenheim.  I wanted to love you, I really did.  You just didn't cut it for me.  Perhaps it was the incredible crowdedness.  Perhaps it was the long line just to enter the place.  Perhaps it was the horrible clientele, composed primarily of posers trying to impress their significant others with their level of culture.  Perhaps it was the fact that you were under renovation, so I couldn't appreciate your full architectural splendor.  Perhaps it' was your current main exhibit, El Greco to Picasso, that draws the hordes of lemmings to see Picasso and mumble utter nonsense about the quality of his art.  Perhaps it's just that the Met is right down the street and has a far better collection.  That's an unfair comparison though.  You rock compare to everything else I've seen back in California, I'd be so much happier if you were in CA too.

Your family photographs exhibit rocked, and I found the curvy setup really intriguing.  The main exhibit wasn't enough to satisfy me though, so this time I left disappointed.  Guggenheim's fame is perhaps enough to convince me to give it another shot sometime in the future.  Not anytime soon though.

7/8/2009

Generally an excellent museum. Current show is not too exciting even for an architect but the renovation of the building is beautiful. They even left all of the mistakes and imperfections in place. Check out the claustrophobic bathrooms, some you need to stand at the side of the toilet to pee. Now that is form over function.

2/8/2010

Very limited collection.

2/5/2009

Visited here during the wrong time (only two floors were open), but the exhibits that were being showcased didn't make up for the loud construction or prison-like security stalking every corner. After coming here, I can definitely say I am not a fan of the extreme abstract art. Luckily one of the nicer security guards was chatty and nice, so wasn't a complete waste of half an hour.

2/9/2007

This was only my second visit to the Guggenheim, as embarrassed as I am to admit this having lived in NJ/eastern PA for about 13 years. But, I loved it both times! And that is what counts here...

I love the architecture of the place and the whole idea of going in circles to view art and being able to take a sneak-peek at what's ahead is awesome! This time, I got to see the Spanish Art Exhibition and it was very well presented. Instead of following something boring like a chronological time line, the exhibit presented different styles of paintings side by side showing how different they are when portraying the same subject matter. Also, it gave me great insight into the various bits of history of Spain and its culture. Very well done!

Tomorrow the Family Photography exhibit starts and I wish I got to see that...perhaps I'll be able to make it out before I head back to the west coast. Will post an update if I do!

12/22/2006

I went for the "El Greco to Picasso" exhibit, and I actually liked the setup of the work.   It was nice to see a compare/contrast perspective while looking at the chronology of Spanish painting, and I think that this format really educates the viewers in a more effective and interesting way.  And the Kandinsky room is amazing; you will walk out with a new respect for the guy.

With that said, I do really have a huge, huge problem with the fug ass frames they put on a lot of these paintings.  As you go through the museum you have this totally full-of-itself audio guide telling you how to view the work like an art snob, and yet I couldn't help but think that they had absolutely no right to own any of their pretention while they're running around putting Trump gold 12-inch frames on Picassos.  I lost some respect for the Gug with my visit, honestly.

The gift shop was aiight.  You can get a spinning top marker or a $60 Frank Lloyd Wright coaster set.  Whatever.

8/20/2011

In general a Frank Lloyd Wright building is a must see and of course the Guggenheim is included.  A good permanent collection in a beautiful building.

12/17/2009

Pathetic, those who give less than perfect score to this masterpiece of humanity.

7/24/2011

This is another one of my favorite places. Not only is the world renowned Frank Lloyd Wright designed building a work of art in itself, but the paintings, sculptures, photographs, installations, etc which reside inside this structure are incredible, too. I love much of the permanent collection, including works by some of my favorite artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, Marc Chagall, Cindy Sherman, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, and Francesco Clemente. Furthermore, I also have either appreciated or absolutely adored the special exhibits on display whenever I have visited NYC and the Guggenheim. Some of these exhibits have included a collection of works by contemporary artists on the concept of "Family," a Nam June Paik installation which criticized both the Vietnam War itself and U.S. Imperialism, and an exhibit which compared and contrasted the still lives of Spanish Baroque artists such as Velasquez with those painted by Spanish surrealists and other modernists such as Miro. This superlative museum warrants a visit for most visitors of Manhattan.

3/12/2007

This place is one of the best art museums in the city. The spiral staircase is awesome. I'd suggest taking an elevator going to the 7th floor and walk your way down. Otherwise it'll feel like you're walking up a mountain and by the time you reach the 3rd/4th floor, you are tired out.

The place is going through renovations, which kinda sucks, because this is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed building. I can't wait to see how the renovations will turn out.

3/12/2010

Do NOT waste your time. Total disappointment. There were a few small collections. Not worth the price of admission.

Plus the exhibit of two people making out on the floor in the center of the entry way was disgusting, and inappropriate. It was not 'ART.'

We'll never go back. Ever.

12/18/2007

The Guggenheim is wildly variable in quality.  This is mainly because 90% of the museum is devoted to whatever temporary exhibition they have going, and their team of curators for such exhibits is extremely erratic.  

Sometimes they do some great stuff.  They had a retrospective on the history of minimalist art a few years ago that was one of the best shows I've ever seen, anywhere, hands down.  And I went in not really liking minimalist art that much.  Not only did seeing this show clue me in to the awesomeness of minimalism, it also taught me how to look at some of the least accessible art in world history.  

Recent exhibitions of Matthew Barney, Kazimir Malevich, James Rosenquist, and Richard Prince have been very interesting and in keeping with what the Guggenheim is supposed to be about.

And then you have the crappy boring "blah" stuff which is poorly curated and obviously meant as a crowd-pleaser for people who know little and care even less about art.  Exhibits like "Aztec Art", "Russian Painting", their obsession with showing kindergarten Parent-Teacher night caliber children's art.  If you don't like contemporary art, don't like to be challenged or try new things, the Guggenheim is not for you.  Run along back to Times Square, now, sweetie.  

I get the sense that they are trying to hook stupid people who don't like  or respect art via the iconic nature of the bulding's architecture (I say "stupid" because said people obviously don't understand that iconic architecture is best enjoyed from outside the building).

9/5/2006

It seems a little strange to rate a museum, given the temporal aspects of what it provides. Our experience there was, however, a highlight of my trip to NYC - it was there that I discovered and was inspired by the work of Zaha Hadid, which was presented in a fashion that perfectly suited the Guggenheim's spiralling interior. You can't really put a dollar value on inspiration, so it's hard to give it less than full stars.

The visit was made even better by the suprise discovery that in a side gallery, they were showing sketchbook works by Jackson Pollock.  Super extra bonus points there.

On a side note, this was my first exposure to museum tours augmented by personal audio devices, and I was pleasantly suprised about how much more I liked it than guided tours or purely printed material.

1/18/2010

The most overrated and overpriced attraction in all of New York.

Yes, the building looks cool from both the inside and outside, but barring a great temporary exhibit, very little of the art inside is worth your time, let alone a cent of your money.

There is a bit of post-Impressionism in the collection that might actually appeal to some people but the rest of it is pure modern idiocy that people only pretend to like to make themselves look and feel sophisticated.

Worse, even if you're one of the five people on earth who gets genuine pleasure from such crap, you won't really be able to see it because the ramp in the rotunda isn't wide enough to see the works from any distance.

Add in the horrific crowds, which are near constant, and the fact that this "major" museum is in fact a tiny bandbox and you have the worst museum experience in New York -- and an $18 bill for your trouble.

See the building, by all means. Walk inside and look at the dome from the lobby. (You can get the full view without purchasing admission.) Then go elsewhere.

9/25/2006

This is such a fun place to walk around!! I luv the design of the building...if only I had a pair of rollerskates...it would've made coming down a lot more fun! hehe!!

Anyways, from now until October 25th, they have a great exhibit of Zaha Hadid.  She is such a wonderful architect and designer.  Make sure you go all the way up to the top to see her Z-car and Z-kitchen.  She has some great chairs that are like puzzles. Very creative lady.

Jackson Pollack also has his exhibit going on right now!

Off we go......

10/6/2009

I enjoy going to the Guggenheim! I like first fridays, really cool and since I became a member its a pretty short line. The people are friendly. We get to go to the premieres and not have to wait in such a huge line so that will be fun!

8/31/2007

I think the best thing about this museum is the architecture of the building- inside (the outside is under construction so it was rather ugly looking).  I was not so impressed by the exhibits.  But then I am not into modern art- so if you are into that then you will love it.  I am sorry but glass stacked into a pile is not my idea of true art...   If I could make it at home - it ain't art folks!!  Creative- yes;  different- you betcha; but its not Rembrandt or Monet.  
Thankfully we attended on free Friday night- which I highly suggest!  Not going to complain since we toured the museum for 50 cents- our tax dollars are contributing plenty so I didn't feel a bit guilty.

12/6/2008

Although the exterior has had some cosmetic work done to rejuvenate the aging facade, the interior is still its same dull self. Aesthetically the place looks interesting but practically it's a pain in the ass for artists to showcase art because of the curved walls, many which remain bare. The galleries on each floor get crowded easily making it hard to navigate without obstructing someone's view. They are very anal about you not taking pictures above the first level so you have be sneaky if you want a picture from the top down. The information people are very knowledgeable about the art being showcased. If you ask them nicely they will share their personal opinions and you'll have plenty of material for your art paper. The ticket price is kinda steep but it's one of those places you have to visit, even if it's only once.

3/25/2008

Again, we were late. These things happen, but we eventually made it to the Guggenheim to see the new Cai Guo-Qiang exhibit. Sure we only had an hour, as the museum closes at 5:45 on Saturdays, but at least we made it. It would've been nice to have been able to do the free audio tour, but when you only have an hour to make your way past so many pieces of art, you don't really have time for leisure. In the center of the spiral were 9 Chevrolet sedans suspended in the air with light tubes running through them simulating fireworks. Absolutely amazing.We paid our $18 and it was recommended that we ride the elevator to the top floor of the exhibit and work our way down because they supposedly close the exhibit from the top down. We were able to quickly locate Liz and D and make it all the way up in time without missing a beat. Except for all those beats we missed by not being able to read every placard and listen to the audio tour.

The gunpowder paintings were very interesting technique wise and stylistically and we loved the piece entitled "Head on" where something like 99 life sized replicas of wolves made of paper mache, fiberglass, resin and painted hides (very lifelike) were careering in motion along the hallway along the ground and in air only to eventually collide into a glass wall, before collapsing in an animate pile on the ground.

Unfortunately, we didn't have more time to explore the museum, but as it's not going anywhere, we'll most definitely be back.

10/22/2006

Architecture amazing, exhibits well formed, but the Zaha Hadid was mostly lost on me as I'm not a design snob.. It's like 7 stories of outtakes of The Jetsons cartoon's backdrops.. I did learn that Zaha Hadid built an energy efficient and cute concept car which was brilliant, and her notion that you should never consider a work finished and perfect, only a versioned release, and that you can always come back and improve a design. I applied this to my job the following day, revising some future state proposals, and the new version was much better and loved by all. People complain that Hadid's work was mostly theoretical, but the exhibit also showcased how her work was going into production.

Trivia for aviation ethusiasts, check out the link between Charles Lindbergh and Harry Guggenheim. Lindbergh helped get funding for Robert Goddard, American rocket pioneer.

Summary: Museum seems to serve a niche, so make sure you are into the exhibit first. The permanent collection shown in parallel was
somewhat interesting, but not really.

6/23/2006

The exhibits change fairly often and the building is very distinct as it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, who was a detail man that was never a great engineer, but more of an artiste-et-architect, pictured with a knee length velvet cape, cane and feather in his hat..on occasion. I love starting at the top and getting a break into different alchoves and exterior balcony or finding a toilet along the way down.

Jazz trios on Friday nights and gets great ambient light in the summer.

Just check out what the exhibit is for the time you decide you want to go to an art museum. Can be hit or miss. There was an Impressionists exhibit that I didn't need to see, but actually enjoyed the building more than the art exhibit that day.

Frank Gehry, was the architect for the Bilbao, Spain Guggheim Museum that got him international excitement architecturally speaking.

8/22/2008

Lov the layout of the building, very unique and cool. Enjoyed seeing the range of art here. It was Russian art movement. Great to walk near the park afterwards. Every museum is so unique. Expect to be on your feet alot!

2/9/2009

i really wasn't that impressed with the guggenheim. rather disappointed, actually!

12/4/2008

ah, the guggey as we call it.
they pop up all over the world, with their outrageous admission prices, poorely curated shows and large crowds.

there are so so so many better museum to support.
SO MANY
SOOO MANY.
and usually, better shows to see.

but i go, occasionally. once a year or so they'll have a pretty mega awesome show. like  louise bourgeois this year.
good job on that one.

fail on all other parts.

4/1/2009

If you are a FLWright fan or really love sculpture art, you must stop here. For such a small museum, it ranks really high due to its design awesomeness! Wish there was more to see, it's a very unique place.