MoMa reopens

Girl before a mirror, Pablo Picasso at MoMa
Originally uploaded by lools.

The 630,000 square foot space of The Museum of Modern Art reopened in midtown Manhattan yesterday upon completetion of a massive renovation project that cost over $800 million. Japanese architect, Yoshio Taniguchi, has done a spectacular job with the new space that is truly a tribute to some of the best contemporary art in the world today.

We spent a few hours this afternoon strolling around the fifth floor of the museum where the paintings are housed. We did not even attempt to take in much else of the massive collection of architecture, photography and scultpure on the other floors. I want to savour each floor bit by bit on every visit. Thanks to GS's generous contributions over the years, we are very lucky to get in for free every time though I don't think that $20 per person is too much of a price to pay for all the fabulous art on display.

I was totally awed by the number of Picasso paintings on display. Having personally seen his work at other museums like the Musee Nacional Picasso Paris and Museo Nacional Centre de Arte Reina Sofia Madrid, I was impressed by how much of his work MoMA owns. It was awesome to see "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" in all its original beauty in addition to many other of his wonderful paintings. We stood mesmerized by Les Demoiselles painting imagining all the homework and study that Picasso completed before he started this fabulous creation. It's such an enriching experience to see the brushstrokes and detail from up-close.

Other paintings that one may easily recognize are Van Gogh's "Starry Night", Chagal's "I and the Village" and Monet's massive "Waterlilies". Even though I've seen quite a bit of the fifth floor, I plan to rent an audio guide when I return. At just $5 a visit, this is a great way to learn much more about every piece of art.

The Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53 Street
New York, NY 10019-5497