For this assignment, I decided to go to the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum for three reasons: it was free for me, I have never been there before, and my free admission was not going to last since I will be turning 19 soon. So it was check off on my bucket list for free things I can do while I am 18.
My first thought about the museum when I approached was it was so beautiful! The architecture of the inside and outside of the museum and the garden was spectacular. After I got my ticket, I amazed even more because of the technology I was given to enhance my experience at the museum. They gave a pen that you would use when you wanted to learn more about the artwork. You would press the tip of the pen against a symbol on the description tag of the art work and it would save to a website created by the museum that is personalized to you! Instead of taking pictures of the art, I was able to login to my personalized webpage and see all the art pieces I collected.
The main theme of the museum was designs that explore other methods of creation. The first exhibit I saw was the Making | Breaking: New Arrivals. This exhibit showcased artworks that incorporated technology into its development. The first piece that caught my eye was the Sidewall, Aurora Ray by Calico Wallpaper because it reminded of sunsets. The ombre of colors in the wallpaper reminded of all the similar posts on Instagram or Snapchat. Sidewall
The second artwork that caught my eye was the Fractal.MGX Table by Gernot Oberfell, because of its fascinating geometry. Apparently, the table was designed using 3D printing techniques and mathematical algorithms. It would not be possible to reproduce this table without using this technology. Table
In the other exhibit, Esperanza Spalding Selects, the only piece that really caught my attention was the Piano Parts, Evolving Perspectives. Unfortunately, the museum has either yet to upload an image of the piece or due to legal issues cannot post it. So you will have to imagine it based on my description. The piece showed the devolution of the piano or the breakdown of the creation of a piano at the end to the beginning. Instead of having a whole keyboard, the board progressed into its more simpler components. I thought it was cool because we never get to see the process behind making a piano or what’s under the keyboard. We only get to see the finished masterpiece.
There was an interactive table on each floor where you can create your own architectural design and save it using the pen! For example, you can design a chair, a hat, a building or anything you want out of different materials provided. After you are done with your design, you can save it to your website.
Overall, the museum was not that exciting because of the limited number of exhibits to see and it was not the kind of art I would appreciate. I believe engineers or fashion designers would find the museum more appealing. However, I am glad I went before I had to start paying for admission!
If you would like to see some other pieces that I tagged onto my personalized page, please click the link below:
https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/visits/3rrs/
- Sidewall, Aurora Ray, 2014; Designed by Calico Wallpaper ; digital print on linen-textured vinyl; L x W: 243.8 × 132.1 cm (8 ft. × 52 in.); Gift of Calico Wallpaper; 2015-24-2
- Fractal.MGX Table, 2009; Designed by Gernot Oberfell, Jan Wertel and Matthias Bär; stereolithography-formed and pigment-infused epoxy resin with polyurethane (pu) filling; H x W x D: 41.9 × 72.4 × 57.8 cm (16 1/2 × 28 1/2 × 22 3/4 in.); Gift of George Azar; 2016-22-1
