In & Out of Amsterdam at MOMA
Last week I went to see In & Out of Amsterdam: Travels in Conceptual Art, 1960-1976 at the Museum of Modern Art. I live near MOMA, so I became a member because members go for free. MOMA is one of my favorite museums in the city and I especially like to go in the mornings on weekdays because it is usually much calmer. I have even been known to sneak in during my lunch break when I am feeling particularly harried.
I didn’t expect the In & Out of Amsterdam exhibit to be what it was. I was hoping to see some nice drawings or paintings of Amsterdam, because I have never been and it is on my list of places to visit someday. This is not what this exhibit was at all. I should have been able to figure this out since artists in the the 60s and 70s were exactly known for their conventional ways, but I guess I didn’t put much thought into it.
There certainly were some interesting ideas of art at the exhibit. One artist threw blank pieces of paper on the streets of Amsterdam and waited for people to walk over them. He then collected the soiled papers these were displayed. Another artist attempted to change the area where a robin lived by moving posts surrounding the robin’s home over time. Both of these pieces were interesting, but I am not sure my mother would consider them art. Nonetheless, the exhibit made me think. If you are going, I would definitely recommend getting the free audio guide from MOMA before viewing as the audio tour helps explain some of the artists thinking.
