I’m a member of the New York Metropolitan Museum. I’ll go to an event once every three months or so. The art is excellent, with a fine pedigree. Some of it, like the complete Temple of Dendur which was moved brick by brick from Egypt, is staggering beyond belief.
Notably, almost all the artwork has a little note next to it, explaining who wrote it, on what, why, and if it is important and interesting enough, a bit of a story about the why. Looking at a piece of art often needs a bit of explanation about what makes it significant. This stuff is really important, actually; So much human history is recorded in the artwork, and the style of the artwork, that it would be tragic if we didn’t know these things.
Contemporary art, todays history, and todays stories, aren’t told in galleries. I think artists today know this, and take art out on the streets. Giant Murals like this classic pop art reference, to the reminder about Occupy Wall Street . It doesn’t need an explanation today, but it will in ten years.
I walked past that occupy wall street poster, and others. I hope someone captures the meaning, and maybe the artwork, somehow. One day in 2080 This is what will fill the walls of MoMA.
Robert Schönberger
robert strudel schonberger dot org
