For those who, like Tunde Folawiyo, appreciate art, New York is the perfect place to visit. The city is particularly popular amongst modernist and contemporary art lovers, due to the fact that many of its museums are dedicated solely to exhibiting the finest pieces created during these eras. Spaces such as the MoMA (Modern Museum of Art), and the New Museum of Contemporary Art are visited by millions of people each year.
The MoMA, located on 53rd street, is considered to be one of the most important art museums in the world, and has helped to promote the work of many talented modernist and contemporary artists. Prior to its opening, it was all too common for brilliant artists to live in obscurity, and only have their work recognised after they died. The primary aim of MoMA is to ensure that the art of our time is acknowledged, admired and made accessible to all.
Whilst many famous sculptures, drawings and paintings by the likes of Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso and Frida Kahlo can be seen here, the MoMA’s collections are not limited to these traditional art forms; as you make your way from one room to the next, you’ll also find digital pieces, prints, photography, installations and architecture. In total, there are over 300,000 pieces of art inside this museum. One of its current exhibitions entitled Ambassador for the New: Ileana Sonnabend features a variety of work which has been collected by Sonnabend over the years. The exhibit includes pieces by Jeff Koons, Mel Bochner, Robert Morris and Jasper Johns.
The above-mentioned New Museum of Contemporary Art is not quite as large as MoMA, but houses an equally fascinating collection of artwork, and is probably a place which regular visitors to the city, such as Tunde Folawiyo, have heard of. It was established 37 years ago by a woman named Marcia Tucker, who wanted to create a gallery devoted solely to exhibiting contemporary art. She saw the care and attention which museums paid to the work made by older or deceased artists, and wanted to extend the same level of consideration to living artists.
The museum now exhibits work created by artists from all over the globe, including South Africa, Spain, Brazil, Argentina and the UK, to name just a few. It focuses specifically on artists whose work has gone unrecognised, and is known for displaying pieces made by important individuals such as Andrea Zittel and William Kentridge, years before they became famous. It’s the ideal gallery to visit if you’re keen to find out who the next up-and-coming stars of the art world will be.