MAD – BEST MUSEUM EVER!

The newly renovated Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) blew my mind away. This is definitely by far my favorite museum in New York City. Its current exhibit, Second Lives–remixing the ordinary, is full of art pieces that are nowhere near ordinary. The exhibit occupies two of its upper floors and both floors amaze me with very creative and innovative designs. Some of the most notable pieces include “Spoons” by Jill Townsky and “My Back Pages” by Paul Vilinski. All of these artworks contain deep meanings that the artists intended to portray to the viewers through their creations. For example, “Spoons” are made of plastic spoons and rubber bands that are assembled together to create a massive pyramid. Although impressive, it flaws in its instability because the elasticity of the rubber bands diminishes over time, which will cause the whole structure to eventually collapse even if only one rubber band snap. The artist wanted to portray the message of “the actual ‘moment’ of the process can never exist retrospectively; it leaves only a ‘trace’ of its action” through this fascinating piece of art. My favorite piece in the museum is “My Back Pages” which is displayed over an entire wall.  It consists of vintage vinyl records, record player, wire, and recover covers. The vinyl records and record covers are cut into shapes of butterflies and are displayed as if they were flying out of the record player. This is not only a beautiful piece of artwork but it also “releases the meaning of album, collection, and songs into the world.”

The museum left me such a good impression not only because of its captivating art pieces but because of the brief description of each artwork. Although it undoubtedly limits our imagination by telling us the artworks’ intended meanings, nevertheless, it allows me to feel closer to the artwork and understand it in at deeper level. The museum successfully imprinted the objective of the exhibit in my mind and for this reason, I will most gladly visit it again for another pleasurable experience.