Sarah Chaltiel
Sarah Montague
Integrated Seminar: Fake
20 November 2018
Honeymoon: Issues/Controversies With The MOMA
The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) located in New York is one of the most influential museums in the modernist art movement. The MOMA first opened on November 7th, 1929 but was later expanded and remodeled. Throughout the years the MOMA has undergone several expansions and have been critiqued by many for their decisions to do so. MOMA revealed their plans to renovate the museum in 2014 with expectations to destroy the American Folk Art Museum. The director of the museum, Glenn Lowry, had plans to create a glass wall which would ultimately expand the museum and allow for free entry to the entire first floor. The spark of controversy came from the idea to demolish the American Folk Art Museum. Their plan was to introduce a performance based art gallery within the American Folk Art Museum. After this backlash from the public, the MOMA decided to replan their expansion to not upset others. The architect working to create this expansion was Elizabeth Diller and her design studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Diller Scofidio + Renfro have worked on many famous sights and architecture such as The High Line and The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. After revising plans, the MOMA along with Diller Scofidio + Renfro, made the decision to connect galleries within the American Folk Art Museum, in a residential tower, as well as the already existing MOMA. With these extensions, the MOMA would expand to 744,000 square feet which is 17% than the previous building.
Works Cited
“Ever-Growing MoMA Splits Its Controversial Expansion Plans into Three Phases.”
Archpaper.com, 27 Sept. 2016,
archpaper.com/2016/01/ever-growing-moma-splits-controversial-expansion-plans-three-p
hases/.
Helmore, Edward. “Struggle for the Soul of New York Art as Critics Accuse Moma of Selling
Out.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 26 Apr. 2014,
www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/26/moma-new-york-battle-for-soul-of-art.