MoMA / credit: Alexis Buisson

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MoMA
11 West 53 Street, Manhattan
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The MoMA is getting a new look … once again. Fifteen years after its last major expansion, the Museum of Modern Art has just completed a new extension and a large-scale redevelopment to accommodate more visitors in better conditions. This much-anticipated "new MoMA", which cost $ 450 million, opens Monday, October 21. "There will be more art from more places, artists and disciplines than ever beforeMoMA director Glenn Lowry said in a discussion with some journalists on Thursday.

To cope with the increasing attendance (3 million annual visitors in recent years, including 51% international visitors), the MoMA has pushed the walls. He took possession of several floors in the neighboring tower of Jean Nouvel and built new galleries and thematic spaces dedicated to creation and performance. In total, the area devoted to galleries has been increased by a third. To better showcase its impressive collections, one-third of the galleries will be renewed every six months. Even if the great classics, such as "La danse" by Matisse or "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" by Picasso, will remain on the walls.

In addition, galleries will now be organized in chronological order (1970-present, 1940-1970, 1880-1940) and by theme ("Paris in the 1920s", "Innovators of the 19th century", "Response to the war", "Architecture for modern art" , "Henri Matisse"…). "Yesterday, we saw 5,000 works when we came to the museum, mostly from North American and European artists. Today, we will see 25,000 from Latin America, India, Africa and the Middle East", Continues Glenn Lowry.

For this re-opening, which follows four months of work, visitors will discover several commissions, including a installation of Yoko Ono ("Peace is Power" on the 3rd floor) and a large tapestry of the Polish artist Goshka Macuga gathering the images of 100 works from the MoMA archives and collections as well as his own works. The architects of this "new MoMA" have multiplied the passages between the galleries so as to smooth the flow of visitors and get lost more easily in the art.

Practical information

MoMA
11 West 53 Street, Manhattan
Site

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