Boosted by the recent opening of new rooms at MoMA, the New York art scene is vibrant from north to south of the island. We cross bridges and tunnels to admire it.
From changing institutions to innovative places, the New York culture circuit takes sideways. Treasure hunt.
The new MoMa shakes up the codes
In this autumn all eyes are on the 53e Rue to discover the “new MoMA”, and its very recent horizontal extension. We haven’t seen anything like it in Manhattan, the vertical, in years. By nibbling on the old Art Folk Museum, the MoMA has acquired new rooms over nearly 4000 m2, thanks to the architectural firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro, for 450 million dollars. Bigger, brighter, the ambitious museum turns everything upside down, to make your head spin.
Read also :In Manhattan, the “new MoMA” reinvents itself from A to Z
Exit the traditional chronology, make way for thematic rooms that surprise by the unexpected confrontation of founding works such as the very iconic Ladies of Avignon (1907) by Picasso with a canvas by African-American artist Faith Ringgold African Americans Series #20: Die (1967), evoking a colorful race riot. A rapprochement that sparks debate in New York’s artistic landerneau. At MoMA, all media: painting, video, photo, design, installations… intersect to tell modern and contemporary art to the widest possible audience. Interdisciplinarity – which can sometimes resemble zapping – applies literally even in the toilets … now offering three possibilities: man, woman and not gender. Quite a symbol. www.moma.org
Read also :Glenn D. Lowry: “The MoMA collection must surprise”
The Bronx is bourgeois
The Bronx hasn’t been burning for years. He even got bourgeois. After Brooklyn, gentrification climbs north of Manhattan. 40 minutes by metro from Grand Central, we discover beautiful murals left in plain view by the best street artists of recent years. An open-air urban museum that you can visit with your nose in the air to admire the exceptional red brick architecture. An itinerary that can be done with a French New York Off Road guide, who tries to show you places little known to tourists. www.newyorkoffroad.com
Read also :In the Bronx, tourists flock to the steps of the Joker
From the street to the picture rails, at the Bronx Museum, graffiti was elevated to the rank of a genre in its own right by Henry Chalfant, who has been photographing the pioneers of graffiti since the 1970s. (until March 8). While Alvin Baltrop (1948-2004), a former African-American taxi driver, leaves a poignant photographic testimony of the gay districts of the Bronx. Until February 9. www.bronxmuseum.org
The Shed unfolds
With its accordion roof, the art center opened since last spring is one of the curiosities of the Hudson Yards neighborhood in West Manhattan. Designed like the MoMA by architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the Shed was designed to be a place open to all disciplines, from dance to musical performances. On the model of the Center Pompidou, the Shed is a large and open place with its café, its bookstore (which winks at French culture, from Duras to Gainsbourg) and its auditorium which hosts dance in particular.
Read also :Hudson Yards, a luxury bubble in the heart of New York
On the upper floors, generous exhibition rooms show “Agnes Denes: Absolutes and Intermediates”. A very eloquent retrospective of this committed land art artist, born in 1938 in Budapest who grew up in the United States. Through drawings, videos and installations, we can see the precocity of her commitment to the planet from the end of the 1970s. Agnes Denes went so far as to plant a one hectare wheat field at the foot of the Twin Towers in 1982 , to place nature in the urban context. A beautiful presentation that is both aesthetic and philosophical. Until March 22. 545 W 30th St. www.theshed.org
The Vessel, a ship to admire the Hudson
Very close to the Shed, this unidentified giant sculpture looks like a 3D object taken out of a video game. Designed by British designer Thomas Heatherwick, the Hudson Yards Vessel, very close to High Line Park, this oval V, a sort of complex honeycomb, consists of a set of connected stairs to each other by platforms. The bravest climb the 154 staircases interconnected by 2,500 steps, for a spectacular view of the river!climbvessel.com
Seaport District, après Sandy
Swept by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the southern tip of Manhattan suffered enormous damage. Seven years later, a new district was born in Seaport, opposite the old port, a stone’s throw from Wall Street and Battery Park. Shops, bars, restaurants have taken place in the buildings which are among the oldest in the city. We stroll from Corso Como, the Milanese concept store to Sarah Jessica Parker’s stiletto shop, before grabbing a bellini at Cipriani, and admiring the superb view of Brooklyn.
High Line, the green flow of art
It’s New York’s green pride. The High Line runs north to south of Manhattan along the Hudson River. From Midtown to Meatpacking, the old suspended railway line of 2.3 km, now vegetated, is the common thread of open-air art exhibitions.
Read also :A green corridor in Manhattan
At 30th Street, in High Line Plinth, we come face to face with a monumental sculpture by Simone Leigh, an African-American artist, who made Brick House, the bust of a black woman with long braids, inspired by tribal art from Benin and Togo. A symbol of commitment for this visual artist born in 1968 in Chicago who pursues “auto-ethnographic” work, in her own words. This includes references to African art, vernacular objects and performance, all tinged with feminism, focusing on the marginalization of women of color in American society. (to see until September 2020). If we continue the walk on the High Line, we go to discovery de In/With Chelsea, a succession of participatory performances and workshops by four other women Alicia Grullón, Betty Yu, Lizania Cruz and Shannon Finnegan, who in turn demonstrate that art can also play a social role. www.thehighline.org
TRAVELOGUE
Tourist Office: NYC & Company. www.nycgo.com
The Company offers 2 Paris-Newark flights per day, exclusively in business class from € 1,200 round trip. Comfort and design aboard a new fleet of two Airbus A321neo fitted out with 76 business seats that unfold into beds. We appreciate the bistronomic cuisine and the selection of films by MK2. www.lacompagnie.com
The Conrad NY Midtown. Elegant hotel composed only of suites with classic and sober decor. 151 W 54th St. From 500 € per suite. www.conradnewyorkmidtown.com
The Langham Hotel. Pretty arty address that plays on the codes of contemporary art and chic comfort. 400 Fifth Avenue. From € 500 per double room. www.langhamhotels.com
Malibu Farm, a Californian atmosphere for this canteen that focuses on healthy and organic cuisine with sourced products. From the terrace, you can enjoy the breathtaking view of the Brooklyn Bridge. 89 South Street Seaport. www.malibufarm.nyc
At the Mr C. at the brand new Cipriani hotel to sip a bellini prepared in the rules of the art. 33 Peck Slip. www.mchotels.com
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