Guggenheim Museum

1/11/2015

Very interesting collection and a great atmosphere. When I went, the collection they were featuring was "Zero", and it's absolutely fascinating. I am, by no means, a museum/art aficionado so I won't do the museum a disservice by attempting to describe the works/collections. But that being said, to my amateur eyes...well worth the visit!

The media guide is a must if you don't know much about the art there - it does a wonderful job of describing a lot of what they have. An added plus is that some of the media includes videos to further illustrate artistic styles. Really cool!

Note:

- When you first buy your tickets, be sure to get your audio guide (included with your ticket purchase) before ascending the ramp to the exhibits! Because of how busy it was, the crowds of people prevented my party from seeing the station where you pick up the guides

- Bathrooms were really inconvenient because of the shape of the museum. I'm not sure if there were other restroom locations that were easier to use

- If you get overwhelmed easily, or you're having one of those days where you need space -- save this visit for another day. I'm not that great with crowds to begin with, but when I went, it got incredibly crowded and I found myself experiencing sensory overload: the art, the people, the shape of the building.

1/19/2015

The first thing one notices about the Guggenheim is the building itself.  The unique, concrete, spiral edifice situated across the street from Central Park, is striking.  The building is the first and only museum designed by Frank Lloyd Wright who's better known for low-slung residential structures which stretch across the horizon in rural settings.  

Wright's design of the nautilus-like Guggenheim included his vision of how art would be viewed within it.  Patrons would take elevators to the top floor and view art exhibits while descending the spiral ramps.  The spaces were to be continuous, flowing freely between one another.  The atrium, at ground level, was to be the final viewing area before exiting the building.  

I'm no expert but I'm also not the first person to remark on how inhospitable the Guggenheim is as a structure for viewing art.  Before the building even opened, artists protested against their work being displayed in such a space.  They complained that the exhibition areas were shallow, windowless, and concave.  The ceiling height limited the size of paintings and the slanted walls required paintings to be hung in ways not intended by the artists.  

To compensate for some of the negative aspects of the Wright design, and to add viewing space, the building was later expanded.  With the expansion, four additional viewing galleries now hang off the spiral.  Though these galleries have the benefit of flat, unsloped flooring they feel both visually and vertically cramped.  Yes, they offer more wall space but the viewing experience is equally unsatisfactory.  

With a $22 entrance fee and no reciprocal membership privileges, the Guggenheim holds the dubious distinction of being the most expensive museum I visited (in both Berlin and New York) and the museum I enjoyed the least.  It probably didn't help that a painfully uninteresting exhibit ("ZERO, countdown to tomorrow") had overtaken almost the entire building at the time of my visit.  Still, as dull as I found the ZERO exhibit, I do believe it would have been more engaging if displayed in a more conducive viewing environment.  

Finally, the coda:  A single sign on the main floor alerted me to a Frank Lloyd Wright "Usonian House" exhibit in the basement.  The basement, it turns out, is accessible only via elevator from the 4th or 6th floors (WTH?).  Even more so than the rest of the space, the basement felt like a cramped afterthought, a despicable viewing experience.  That someone had chosen to hide a Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit down there, in the basement of Frank Lloyd Wright's building, felt like a not entirely undeserved commentary on Frank Lloyd Wright, one-time designer of art museums.

12/31/2014

A great way to spend an afternoon browsing modern art in an interesting building. Aside from the Met, the Natural History Museum and MoMA, this would likely be the next on my list of museums you have to visit in New York.

Yet, aside from the Museum's architectural design, I found the pieces and range of art within the museum somewhat lacking. There are maybe 3-4 major exhibits throughout the museum and takes probably at most 3 hours to work your way through all of it.

What's great is that you will start to see a lot of exhibits rotated throughout the museum over time so there's still great variety if you revisit! I remember them having a very interesting sound/music exhibit a while back where you could actually play with instruments that were constructed in an aesthetically pleasing way (like cymbals hanging from the ceiling like windchimes). One of my most enjoyable experiences.

11/24/2014

Good overall museum despite some considerable shortcomings.

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Came here by myself Nov '14 and with a small group around Aug '13, with both experiences being quite different overall.

The Guggeinheim, as I understand it, is a medium size museum.  Its popularity is in part due to the building designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.  The museum seems to have a mix of classic and more modern visual artwork that remains on the premises on a permanent basks.  They regularly offer exhibits that remain for a few months.  The price for admissions as of Nov '14 was around $19 for adults.  On my Aug '13 visit, there was a special going on and folks could choose to pay what they wished.  I may have donated $5.

I have mixed feelings about this museum.  Its hard to review this because without exploring specifically the different things that work or not.  There are several factors that stand out to me.  The architecture of the building, the more permanent artwork, the works displayed on exhibits, the manner of which the museum is run, and value of admissions were aspects of the experience that caught my interest.  Furthermore and perhaps most importantly, there is the question of finding the best time to visit.

The architecture of the museum is something Im ambivalent about.  Visually from the outside, particularly at sunset and evenings, I find it stunning.  The interior winding walkway is a sight to behold, and lends itself to a magical experience exploring exhibits, such that I did in my latest visit.  I dont care so much for the rooms built outside of the walkway that host the more permanent artwork.  The more square rooms dont seem to visually integrate so well in a manner that allows the experience walking from room to room to appear seamless.  Some of the rooms seem a bit claustrophobic, and this is more the case when the premises are crowded.  

On my first visit, much of the walkways were sealed off for renovations.  Because of its popularity, the museum can on such occasions be too packed and distracting to savor the artwork at your own pace.  Such was the case I visited with a group at a busier time in Aug '13.  We kept getting bumped into by other visitors and herded by the uncompromising staff.  A companion of mine kept getting pushed, by odd coincidence or not, the same older lady absentmindedly and unapologetically.  I cant deny it wasn't worth a few laughs from my end.  Nonetheless it was difficult enjoy things within such an aggravating environment.

I cant fairly speak of the permanent artwork.  Its not something I consider myself knowledgeable to judge.  I did find it a pleasure to gaze at much of the classic pieces more than the modern works.  Unfortunately, I did find the quantity of art to be on the more modest side relative to other museums in the city.  Its not a museum I can find myself spending as much time as the larger, yet similarly priced museums as a measure of value.

The exhibits can be the most rewarding part of the museum and justify the price of admission.  In my first visit, there either was no exhibit or it was entirely unmemorable.  In my most recent visit, in Nov '14, there was a modern art exhibit called 'Zero'.  I had a great time enjoying this art movement that explored ideas which manipulated such qualities as light, movement, sound, narrative, reflection, engineering, minimalist color palettes.  Materials such as nails, mirrors, fabric, ash, burnt items, and inflatables were memorable.  I struggle to articulate the experience, but suffice to say it was powerful experience for me.  The beauty and stimulation was an adventure, even though I had little less than an hour to spend.  The nature of the artwork demands that you experience it more intimately in a museum.  Images alone from some art book do it no justice.

I think the manner in which the museum is run leaves much to be desired.  The staff by the entrance for the most part are professional enough.  Inside the museum, the staff can be less forgiving.  The 'no photo' policy is most bothersome.  I can appreciate and would advocate a no flash policy, but without that, I fail to see the harm.  Im not convinced this is necessary when other major museums permit the same.  The staff, annoyingly, are constantly looking out for offenders to scold.  Nonetheless, it does make for an amusing experience to try and sneak photos and videos when they aren't looking.

Visiting at the right time is essential.  Heavier crowds make for an undesirable experience.  On my Nov visit, I went 45 mins before closing and the museum had an entirely different character with 50 or so other visitors, relative to my earlier visit.  It was just enough time that I could soak in the exhibit at my own pace.  It was the difference between a great visit and downright miserable one.

I recommend planning your visit with some degree of care.

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  Interior of museum, Nov '14. Thankfully there were no pesky renovations.

  Interior of museum, Nov '14. Thankfully there were no pesky renovations.
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  Exterior of museum at sunset, Nov '14

  Exterior of museum at sunset, Nov '14
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  Artwork from the 'Zero' exhibit. Technique used by burning, chemical fire, and ash. Nov '14

  Artwork from the 'Zero' exhibit. Technique used by burning, chemical fire, and ash. Nov '14
• See all photos from Adrian Robert H. for Guggenheim Museum

12/29/2014

ZERO
We decided today was the day to hit the Gugge.  I had my daughter and her friend in tow and I had a feeling they would like the Snack that is The Guggenheim compared to the 14 course meal that is the MET.
Right now, if you are reading this for advice on the Gugge and the current show, it's called Zero.  It's works from the German/Euro group of the early 60's that advanced the use of light as an artistic movement.  In short without breaking down the whole show, so many of the pieces work based on light sources creating shadows on a sculpture.  One out of every 3 or 4 pieces has a motor and moves on a timer.    Some pieces are meant to be an interesting idea fleshed out, while more than a few actually work as mind bending illusions created with glass, and steel moving parts.  I can tell you the 2 teens I brought to the show found some things silly and a few sculptures to be incredible.
There is plenty of reviews on the museum and how the museum itself is one of the greatest achievements to view in person.  But as a modern art museum it's good to know that the current exhibit in more than just a snack, but a show that ranges from a curious diversion to a thought provoking and possibly mind changing display.

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  Zero

  Zero

11/20/2014 Updated review

Really contemporary exhibitions..
But photos are prohibited in the building.
They have cafe and restaurants in the building. Visit if you have time.
Free wifi.

12/29/2014

Need better control of volume as the current and frequently the rotating special exhibit is mind blowing but the standing art in the museum is truly precious and navigation of the masses takes away from a quality experience.  In short, population density causes all kinds of degrading of enjoyment and better pacing of the number of occupants in the museum would greatly help with this challenge.

As expected, store is fun and filled with great gifts.  Architecture is a transport into another era in itself.  Security is a tad overworked and thus insensitive to people but if I put only a piece of tape between a screaming child and a Van Gogh that needed to be protected I'd need a sedative to stay calm!

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• See all photos from Mr B. for Guggenheim Museum

11/24/2014

This place is amazing. You see some of the greatest pieces of art in the world here. In addition to great art, the entire building is a standing spectacle, designed by one of the greatest architects alive, Frank Lloyd Wright. I enjoy the walking concept and my favorite thing to do is take the elevator to the very top and view the museum from top to bottom.

People may complain about security guards bothering you about taking pictures, but honestly those are the rules and most of the time these rules are in place to preserve the art work. At any rate, if you just enjoy the art with your eyes you will have no problem and will definitely enjoy your time here.

11/4/2014

I would say the museum is 2.5 stars at best. The stars are really for the building. The architecture was the best part.

As for the rest of it, I am and have always been baffled by what exactly modern art is. ZERO was the theme of the exhibit when I visited. I'm sure I'll piss off a lot of artists with this review.

Here are some of the exhibits I saw: (1) clear plastic box filled with Reese's Peanut Butter Cup wrappers, (2) clear plastic boxes of what looked like asbestos and wall insulation, (3) various objects with nails all over them, (4) a video of the artist robotically putting nails into a television set, (5) a dirty dinner plate glued to the wall, (6) canvas painted one color, like white or blue, (7) a sheet of copper with tears in it, (8) a sheet of canvas with tears in it, kind of like if a cat got thrown onto a shower curtain, and (9) a contraption that combs through sand like an automatic kitty litter scooper.

I don't know about any of this. It all seems like a big joke by the artists.  I'm not sure which is more disturbing: the people who pass this off as art or the people who believe this is art.  Go to the Met instead.

11/26/2014

Beautiful building.  A must see building by Frank Lloyd Wright.  The architecture is amazing and it is a piece of art in itself. The collections are thought provoking and interesting.  Staff are helpful and friendly.

When you enter the building be sure to stop by the information desk to get the audio guide.  They are iPods with headphones where you can punch in the ID number of the exhibit to hear the description.

Some pieces involve motion; unfortunately they are timed and you may miss some items if you are off schedule.

11/29/2014

Beautiful museum.
First off, I love the architecture of the place. On the outside, it's a simple orb, but looks very cool. And inside has a slowly sloping downward spiral going from the very top floor to the bottom. It makes going through the museum very relaxing and easy.
My boyfriend and I went to see the Zero exhibit - From what it looked like on a subway ad, it seemed that the exhibit had a bunch of plays on light and shadows, but this exhibit only had a couple of those, which was sad. The exhibit was very interesting, but unlike those I'm used to.

Anyways, worth a visit !

11/14/2014

the beauty of this museum is that it's shape like a teacup and when you look down you see a winding spiraling stair case.

The not so good-- admission is expensive- 22 dollars and the place is quite small- at times I felt a little claustrophobic.

and oh yeah the security guards are like sergeants, constantly yelling at you to not take pictures. I understand to not take pictures of the art, but I wanted to take a birds eye view of the architecture and the security guard barked  at me across the room.

This museum can easily be finished in 1 hour.Personally I think other museums are  bigger and better in NYC and less costly. I think this is a place to go once.

1/28/2015

Just a nice experience. Nothing that knocked my socks off.

10/26/2014

I wasn't impressed.  Everybody likes the building - but I think it's a lot of wasted space and irregular sized rooms.    I felt like a rat in a spiral maze.  The exhibits were  "contemporary stuff"  mostly and I breezed right by it thinking, "Yeah.  Go to art school - get out - put some stuff together with glue and nails - game over."

I would never recommend this place if you are from out of town- unless you get goose bumps when people say "Frank Lloyd Wright" - then you might like this place.  New York has so much to offer - why waste your time at this place?

4/10/2014

I love the architecture of the Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright!  It features art of nonobjective painting, abstract and Surrealist painting and sculpture, Impressionism/Post-Impressionism, Minimalist of Euopre and American, as well as conceptual artwork. Some of my favorite pieces include Pollock's 'Enchanted Forest,' 'Picasso's 'Le Moulin de la Galette,' Kandinsky's 'Improvisation 28,' Magritte's 'L'Empire des lumineres,' and Picasso's 'Mandolin and Guitar.'  A nice museum to check out if you're in this side of town, going up the winding pathways to each of the exhibits. :D

+Pollock
+Picasso
+Kandinsky

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• See all photos from Hannah H. for Guggenheim Museum

12/23/2014

The Guggenheim understandably ranks behind the Met and the MoMA on Yelp, but I'm glad I finally made it. Even if you don't have much patience for contemporary art, as I don't, you may appreciate the strange beauty of this iconic Frank Loyd Wright-designed space or their modest collection from the impressionist period, which highlights the early realism of modernists like Picasso. We were pleasantly surprised to find that they make their audio tour available via their free iPhone app and in-house WiFi. That greatly improved our experience, especially of the apparently meaningless art, and helped offset the bite of the $22 cost of admission.

4/25/2014

MyMy knows Museums,  and now I know the Guggenheim.

::::::::::BACKSTORY::::::::;;

I was visiting New York and decided to check another landmark off my list,  Der Guggenheim.  Sorry,  I feel a little Germanish when I say that aloud.  Thanks to my excellent map reading skills (im such a new yorker) I found my way on the 6 train from Soho.  Or at least I think it was Soho.

::::::::::LOCATION:::::::::;

The Guggenheim is in the ideal Manhattan location.  Right by Central Park. So after you get done seeing works of art you can come and observe all the people running around getting exercise at the park.  

:::::::::::MUSEUM::::::::::

OK,  I may have a hit out on my life after I say this..... But I was underwhelmed.  Don't get my wrong,  the building is wonderful.  The incredible structure inside and outside was amazing.  But when the architecture of the building is more captivating than the art, there is a problem.  

I happened to go at museum happy hour lol.  So at 5ish they let you in at a name your price type of deal.  The line was wrapped around the building.  I found my way to the front and was informed I could pay the normal price and get in immediately.  Score.  Ain't no way in hell imma wait in line for less than $20.

Make sure you get the free audio guide,  came in handy.  Sorta,  lol.  Ill get to that in a minute.

I absolutely LOVED the Carrie May Weems exhibit.  I set my audio guide to her story and listened to it even when I was out of her exhibit.  Carrie guided me through the museum and didn't even know.  Lol this is why I said "kinda". I was so captivated by her voice I didn't listen to anything else.

The setup is odd. Me personally, if I ever come back,  ill take the elevator to the top and walk down.  That's a lot less strenuous.  

The other exhibits were just,  ok.

Sidenote,  go to the bathroom on the ground level.  There is a door away from plain view that leads to the basement.  There are more stalls down there.

Everyone was pleasant,  and I'm glad I came.

2/4/2014

It looks so small next to skyscrapers all around... But than again, most of Wright's creations are. They not meant to dominate or intimidate, but to fit and invite.
Wrapped around on its own lines, calling to the nature's shapes of Central Park that lies across the street...
Nevermind the intimate scale, it is inspiring and impressive. As you walk in, rotating lines bring your eyes up, up, up, and there it is, the famous rotunda glass dome, the flower of beauty.

Guggenheim is a small museum, it is no Louvre or Hermitage, but the treasures on a display have no scale.
Usually, the walls around the ramp are dedicated to current exhibition (last time is was Christopher Wool's graphics and photography), but walking thru side rooms there main collections are, is akin discovering whole 'nother world. Renoir, Monet, Picasso and  many others await you in Thannhauser Collection, and Kandinsky in Paris Room is on another level... Amazing.

There is a hidden treasure here, of course, and that is Tribute to Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian House and Expo Pavilion. Take elevator D from side room on top floor to the basement, and enter the small exposition showing original drawings, model and photographs for the structures that were once standing at same lot there Guggenheim was build later on.
A little bit of history and respect for the man who's ideas in architecture changed the world.

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• See all photos from Nadia Z. for Guggenheim Museum

8/18/2014

I'd probably give the Guggenheim 3.5 stars if I could. The building is undeniably spectacular and without question a great venue to view art. That said, the building can be a bit of a distraction too.

As most everyone knows, the "galleries" are basically a walk down or up a long spiral. My advice is to start at the top and work down, even if it means viewing the current exhibit backwards. Otherwise, you'll go all the way up just to walk down past everything you've already seen. The spiral design is amazing for presenting a very clear timeline and focus - no wandering in and out of interconnected galleries - you just go up or down the line. That said, the slope is distracting to walk up or down and the open design means the space gets LOUD.

Check the current exhibits before you go - like the Whitney, the Guggenheim focuses most of it's space on one core show so if you don't like it, your experience won't be stellar. The show we saw was Italian Futurism which I wasn't thrilled about but ended up liking more than I had expected. There are generally 1-2 smaller exhibits as well (for us it was early Kandinsky and Current Latin American Art - really enjoyed that last one). Finally, there is a small offering of paintings from their permanent holdings on display - mostly Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works.

Admission is $22 which is kind of a rip - basically the same price as the Met but 8% of the actual exhibit space to see. If you don't want to pay the $$, just pop into the lobby to check out the amazing Frank Lloyd Wright design. The gift shop is pretty quality too - lots of fun/unusual items on offer.

Overall, not my favorite in NYC but still worth a visit.

1/20/2014

I stayed in Manhattan for a night back in August 2012 and one of the activities on my list was to go to the Guggenheim Museum. My husband and I were there without the kids so we hit a few museums that day.

I was always attracted to the unique architecture of the Guggenheim. It's famous, having been in dozens of movies and television shows. It took at least two hours to make our way around the entire gallery. The view of the circular walls is mesmerizing.

We enjoyed the exhibits and didn't feel rushed or that there were too many people there. I think the number of visitors is limited.  The Guggenheim isn't just a museum; it is also a famous landmark. I love going to landmarks so it was very exciting for me to be there.

This museum is more laid back than the Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There are less works of art but there are a lot less people also. A good place to be for a while and an excellent photo opportunity.

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  In front of the Guggenheim-August 2012

  In front of the Guggenheim-August 2012

2/28/2014

We visited with the city pass on a Friday from about 12-20pm.  

This place was packed and LOUD!  Not the usual classy crowd, we saw tons of kids under the age of 5!

The coat check is gross here, they throw your stuff into a huge bin!! No thanks.  Even if it is free (not sure) I wouldn't throw my nice wool coat with random peoples stuff.

We got the audio tour though it had barely any info on the art and it greatly mimicked the descriptions on the walls.  The whole point of an audio guide is to be more in depth- not to skip the reading.

At the mini gift shop the lady with shoulder length gray hair was obviously not a happy camper.  She had very little patience for people.  Also in the main gift shop I saw an employee with a silk scarf being drug around the floor stuck to his shoe like toilet paper- ew.

The Kandinsky pieces and Picasso pieces are the 3 stars I'm leaving.  The building itself is beautiful and the audio guide did explain the architecture of the building more than it explained the art.

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  Triangles in Frank Lloyd wrights design.

  Triangles in Frank Lloyd wrights design.

8/13/2014

I brought my 10 year old nephew to the Guggenheim with me today and we absolutely had a ball. It was $18 for me (student discount) and free for kids under 12 - all smiles.

They offer a high-speed WiFi iPhone with headphones so you can walk through each exhibit and listen to what the artist had in mind when creating it or what feeling it's supposed to evoke. They have the virtual tour in different languages and they even have kid friendly versions where children speak to other children about how to analyze the art - brilliant I say! It made for some very interesting and thought provoking conversations for my little guy and me. We both had a blast.

The circular design of the museum lends itself well to exploring each floor in a streamlined and calm fashion. It never felt overcrowded or stiff.

We saw the following exhibitions on today's trip: Italian Futurist, Art From Latin America and Kandinsky Before Abstraction, all while enjoying the beautiful architecture of the building and the permanent collections by Monet, Picasso, Cezanne, Renoir, Van Gogh and others.  

I'd definitely recommend visiting the Guggenheim if you find yourself on Museum Mile.

6/22/2014

This is one of New York City's premier art museums for locals and tourists alike. But they should know that the Guggenheim, regrettably, offers the worst possible pay-what-you-wish hours Saturdays, from 5:45-7:45 PM. Poorly thought out and poorly executed. Anyone who gets trapped into thinking they can actually enjoy the exhibits during this time-frame has actually been defrauded big time by New York's cultural elite.  Let me explain.

I visited the recent Futurism exhibit on a Saturday night. There were over 300 works of art, spread over 6 ramp levels and 2 annex levels, much of it visually stunning and worth seeing.  It would take a minimum of 2.5 to 3.5 hours to address this material in any meaningful way (add 15-30 mins. for rest at some point during the visit). That's leaving aside the South American art exhibit (40 artists, 15 countries) and the permanent collection; you would have to add another 1-1.5 hours to see this material.

But the pay-what-you-wish public is given just 2 hours before the museum closes, so it's impossible to see what's on offer.  And to get the full 2 hours (or something close), you have to line up between 4 and 5 PM.  If you arrive later, there is no way you will enter at 5:45. You will encounter a massive line that snakes around the block and takes 45 mins. to an hour to get through.  Then once you enter the building there is a queue at the admissions desk where they collect your nickel, quarter or dollar (which is the whole point of this exercise) and hand you a ticket.  By the time most of the pay-what-you-wish public is admitted, 45 minutes to an hour of their time is gone, leaving the typical visitor with about an hour or so to "see" the museum.

What can you "see" in an hour?  A few works in depth? The whole museum at breakneck speed?  As an educator, this offends me. The intelligent people who run the Guggenheim must know they are not providing enough time for the pay-what-you-wish public.  Compare their policy with MOMA (4 hours FREE on Fridays), the Met (pay-what-you-wish at all times), and the Frick (2 hours of pay-what-you-wish on Sundays at OPENING, so you can stay as long as you wish till 5 PM closing--nice!).

So what can the Guggenheim do if it's serious about letting the non-posh public enjoy its offerings?  It's really quite simple:
1. Expand the pay-what-you-wish hours to a minimum of 4.
2. Let people pay their contributions and receive tickets before they go to wait in line, so they can enter rapidly when the time comes (the movies do it this way).
3. Schedule the hours for the museum's opening instead of closing, so people can stay as long as they want.  This will enable the public to access tours and lectures--none of which, not surprisingly, are offered Saturday nights. The cafes are also closed.
4. Get a sponsor (Target?  Time-Warner? Bloomberg? one of the museum's new friends in Abu Dhabi?).
5. Best of all, take the hit and make it free; then leave a box near the exit so people can drop in a contribution on the way out IF they feel they have received something of value.

5/25/2014

It's the only Frank Lloyd Wright building in NYC. Are you nuts? Get your ass there. The exhibit I saw was Italian Futurists it was amazing. There was everything from
posters to a light show. Remember FLW designed the place so people could go up to the top and wind their way down. Oh and great gift shop!

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  It's hard to beat

  It's hard to beat
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  Looking down

  Looking down
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  Ceiling

  Ceiling

9/26/2014

The building itself is architecturally stunning but the quality of my experiences there were totally dependent on which art was being shown and what the main installation was. So do your research on what is being shown before you show or else you'll be staring at a vagina in the ceiling that repeatedly changed color like I did last August.

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• See all photos from Eva T. for Guggenheim Museum

5/3/2014

The spiral vortex of the architecture has always seemed great to me, it's good both as exercise and as an interesting way to panel the art. Our latest visit offered the "Italian Futurism" (1909-1944) exhibit, which suggests that even early on in the twentieth century artists began to invision a high-tech future. This is eye-opening. When Fritz Lang began his seminal 1927 film "Metropolis," it's traceable now what he became inspired by. His film, of course, has such influential roots in "Blade Runner," "The Matrix," and "Minority Report." The exhibit also stressed artists' look at imagined totalitarian war, the depths of hell, sleek aristocracy living and abstract Picasso. No picture taking of the art. #brainy and #movielove

11/5/2014

The guggenheim is great to look at from the outside. The structure itself is the only reason I give it 2 stars, nothing else. It doesn't impress so much inside, it's no surprise you go around in a spiral and no surprise to the mind, you do.

10/31/2013

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a beautiful museum designed by Frank Lloyd Writer and completed in 1959. Their permanent collection features pieces from Cezanne, Monet, Picasso, Renoir, and van Gogh. When I went last year they also had a special exhibit called "Art of Another Kind: International Abstraction and the Guggenheim," which was on display from June to September. They also had "Rineke Dijkstra: A Retrospective" on display on four different floors. Since my friend and I went there with a member, we only had to pay $10/each for admission (normal admission price is $22/person). Self-guided audio tours are free with admission if you are interested. In addition to their galleries, the Guggenheim has a gift shop, a restaurant, and a cafe.

The layout of the Guggenheim is pretty cool since it's all circular. You walk around in a circle viewing various pieces of artwork, while the exhibitions are in different rooms on various floors. I wasn't a big fan of most of the art on display, but I did learn that COBRA is an artist group from Copenhagen, Brussels, and Amsterdam... not just a fictional group from G.I. Joe. So it was an educational visit :P I appreciated the building itself more than the artwork it houses, but it was a nice museum to visit on my trip to NY.

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  Guggenheim

  Guggenheim

6/19/2014

This was such a disappointment. Why is it so short?? And why did my timing suck so much?? The Italian futurism exhibition was not really entertaining and I didnt think the presentation of the artworks were very well organized..Maybe a second chance will do it justice but for now...the best part of the museum is the architecture

3/23/2014

It definitely helps to get free tickets via the Corporate discount... but then again I'd consider visiting and paying admission nonetheless.

Located on the Upper East Side (82nd St near Central Park), this was a bit of a hike for me to get to from Jersey City. Nonetheless, I took the treck with a few others. First and foremost, the look of the museum from the outside is awesome and a sight in of itself. Once inside, I opted for the audio tour (free!) which is essentially an iphone with commentary (audio or written) on all of the art and exhibits. Strongly recommend opting for this as it makes the experience much more fulfilling and interesting.

Also, there's a cafe on the 3rd floor... I didn't stop in but it looked like it was more tourist focused and had some nice sandwiches, drinks etc. Maybe next time...

I'd recommend anyone contemplating here to do the following:
1. Look online for the exhibits and video screenings
2. Plan to come earlier in the day (late morning/early afternoon), so you can take the museum in and then walk across the street to Central Park
3. If you can stomach it, opt to get food at one of the local vendors/carts or walk over to 2nd avenue for a nice sit down
4. DEFINITELY get the free audio commentary tour
5. Look up when you're in the lobby... the roof and museum architecture is interesting and shouldn't be missed
6. Check in on YELP!

12/30/2014

Nice place to visit for some traditional art and abstract pieces.  Worth a visit, once is enough for me.

5/17/2014

I
Love the
Building but
Hate the price. Least
Favorite big New York art museum.

8/7/2014

There are so many futurism painting and structures. They can always inspiring you. And the building is also a big role, you must to visit it!
Because I major in Fashion Design, the fantastic art there really help me a lot!
What a wonderful place!

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  Building is amazing!

  Building is amazing!
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  Souvenir!

  Souvenir!

9/15/2014

This placed S.U.C.K.E.D. I've seen better exhibits at the Alien Museum in Roswell, NM. Although the Guggenheim's 'gracious staff' (said dripping with sarcasm) did treat me like an alien. Upon arrival, I was informed the museum was 'changing an exhibit' and a 'section' was not going to be available for viewing. They pointed out there were three other levels available. I figured three of five levels...well OK. ALL FIVE FLOORS OF THE FAMOUS RAMP WERE CLOSED. There were three levels of viewing in the side galleries around the stairs. It took less than 20 minutes to go through.

They changed the entire museum's exhibit during the day. Over 90% of the museum was not accessible. In between trying to get around the crowds in the side gallery the museum staff created a barrier to restrooms, water fountains, and exit while art objects were brought in to set up for display. This is not only bad for business but bad for the artwork you are trying to bring in. I have never seen this type of exhibit change before.

One critic of the museum architect and design stated 'the Guggenheim resembles a toilet bowl'. This being said the museum staff was what one places in the toilet bowl. They were totally rude, pushy, and not transparent with what to expect. I FEEL CHEATED. Go to the Frick Collection down the street and you will see better art. This is how to run a museum.

5/22/2014

New York City has so many wonderful museums and galleries, bud sadly this isn't one of them. The visit was ok, but I don't think it was worth the $20+ price. I might be a little bitter because the main attraction, Italian Futurism, 1909-1944 was just really not my thing.

I understand that the main draw is the building, but the general flow of spiraling down (as a rule I always start from the top and work my way to the exit) made me almost miss the whole second exhibit.

Carrie Mae Weems installations saved my whole visit! However,  I didn't understand why they chose to put her video pieces in a narrow hallway with high volume traffic..Also if they are gonna run for longer than 10 minutes I do think there should be a bench for the elderly and those with physical limitations.

When I first got there I was considering waiting till the pay what you want session started. I don't suggest even doing that thought, the line was running waaaaaay down the block for it when I was leaving.

10/29/2014

The museum architecture is pretty cool. I went on a Sunday morning and paid the same day. There were no long lines and wait wasn't too bad. The exhibit I viewed was Zero.
A lot to see but if you are not into abstract art this particular exhibit might not be for you. There are other exhibits of course to choose from. There is a lot of walking going through the museum so it's best to wear comfortable shoes. There are rest rooms and elevators on each floor for visitors connivence.
This museum also has no picture taking rule which is a bummer but understandable once you enter the entrance of exhibits. Overall, it's a a cool museum to check out if your in the area.

9/7/2013

Agree with everyone who says go during the PAY WHAT YOU WISH
5 Stars for the architecture.  2 for the actual content of what's inside.    Not really a fan of modern style art... the building is really awesome though.   I performed in the Henry Brant-  Orbits (musical) piece there.  The building is just really breathtaking. Go for that alone.    Frank Lloyd Wright designed the building and if you are interested in architecture I recommend you see this building.

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  The performance of the Henry Brant - Orbits piece (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/arts/music/23orbits.html?_r=0)

  The performance of the Henry Brant - Orbits piece (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/arts/music/23orbits.html?_r=0)

1/2/2015

The cash-register-girl complimented me on my cheekbones. Thanks, cash-register-girl; That really made my day.

12/21/2014

Went in on a Saturday to make their pay as you wish. The line was humongous, but stayed anyways because too lazy to go anywhere else. 20 min after we finally got in. The museum is small, featuring around 6 exhibitions, most artwork fairly current and some avant guard. I did enjoy one of the exhibits on experimental music, but the rest were just all right. They have a nice little reading room you can sneak in to browse some art books. Finished the museum in 1.5h. There are constantly guards yelling no pictures wherever you go. Probably won't come back unless they have free admission with no lines lol.

7/25/2013

Oh Guggenheim. I should've done a little research before visiting you this past weekend. So excited I was to see the rotunda and the open space. Really wanted to take pictures from every level, but alas, the rotunda was covered by the James Turrell installation.

But... have to admit, the James Turrell installation was pretty cool. Different colors lit up the museum allowing you to see the Gugg in different perspectives. Especially liked the black lights.

An FYI - if you visit during the Turrell installation, watch your step. Visitors lay on the first level and tend to stay there for hours watching the lights turn. Try not to step on anyone.

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• See all photos from Lily C. for Guggenheim Museum