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Following its recently-completed renovations, the new Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), will open to the public on September 27. With an impressive 54,000 square feet, this new building offers nearly three times the interior space of the museum’s former incarnation. More importantly, for the first time in its history, MAD now has a space dedicated solely to housing its permanent collection. During a ribbon-cutting ceremony held this morning, Mayor Bloomberg inaugurated the new building along with Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn as well as Jerome Chazen, Chairman of the Capital Campaign for 2 Columbus Circle.
While exploring the six exhibition floors at the new MAD during a press preview held last week, one was immediately struck by the way natural light bathes the interior artwork without ever competing against it. MAD's new Columbus Circle address affords it the rare New York independent stand-alone location, allowing sunlight to shine in from every direction. And that’s to say nothing of its exterior; the nine-story building, designed by Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works Construction, is adorned with iridescent ceramic tiles and strips of glass that allow the exterior to shimmer all around the circle.
Within the mirrored, cubic tower you'll find a collection of contemporary art that emphasizes and celebrates the creative process as well as the finished product. While looking at so many stunning pieces, it can be easy to forget that they were once simple, raw materials—and moreover that it took the work and ideas of an actual artist to craft them into innovative works of art and design. To further the museum's mission, the sixth floor is entirely dedicated both housing three artist studios that are open to the public (so that anyone can observe masters in the midst of their craft) as well as to educational workshops. On the lower level, there is also a 155-seat auditorium that will serve as a valuable space for lectures and educational presentations, as well as film screenings.
During the museum’s press conference held last week, we previewed the striking new galleries and inaugural exhibitions. "Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary" was among the most impressive. The exhibition features everyday household items transformed into imaginative works of art. Vinyl records are metamorphosed into swarms of butterflies; hundreds of chunky sunglasses compose a chandelier; plastic forks and cotton swabs make up a flower-shaped light installation. It is fascinating to see mundane objects contextualized in such a way that their functionality is all but forgotten in favor of art. "Second Lives" runs until February 15th.
MAD’s vast array of jewelry was also among our favorites. As part of their permanent collection, surprisingly enough, MAD houses the only collection of contemporary jewelry in the United States. So aside from Tiffany & Co., this is the best place in town to get your fill of sparkling chandelier earrings and necklaces that defy chunky. In addition to the cases that adorn the walls of the second floor, there are literally dozens of pull-out drawers underneath them, which contain even more pieces—an eclectic array of bracelets, rings and more—in a variety of mediums from wood to bronze and even paper. This strikes us as a really clever, space-effective way to display an incredibly varied collection.
As MAD officially opens to the public September 27, admission is free during the inaugural weekend. You can read more about the Museum of Arts and Design here.
All photographs copyright © NYC.com. Special thanks to Heidi Riegler.
Tags:
2 columbus circle, Brad Cloepfil, mad, museum arts design, Second Lives
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