A New Home for Old Friends: The AIC Modern Wing

The Art Institute Modern Wing, which opened in May of this year, is still attracting masses a few months later. The wing brings a sense of pride to Chicagoans and has become a destination for tourists. It is the defibrillator the Art Institute needed. While the museum has always boasted an impressive collection, the works now in the Modern Wing never really had a proper home. They always seemed sparse, tucked away, or just oddly placed. However, now they all have one home that gives them proper due.
The Modern Wing was designed by architect Renzo Piano, whom is probably best known for his work on the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Piano used as many opportunities as possible to highlight the relationship between the museum and the city. The Nichols Bridgeway connects the museum to Millennium Park, and offers brilliant views as the patron passes over Monroe Street. The Bluhm Family Terrace offers a special view of the city from within the museum, but there are plenty of skyline glimpses available from within the galleries as well. Even when viewer enters the wing from the main body of the museum, they get a North facing view of the skyline from within Griffin Court. The frequent views of the city, which one does not find often in museums, are a constant reminder of the symbiotic relationship between museum and city.
Griffin Court, the atrium of the wing, can be entered from the North by way of Nichols Bridgeway and South through the museum. The center is opens to all three stories, and the specially designed skylight floods the wing with natural light. Piano's use of glass, open spaces, and stark white walls make the Modern Wing feel breezy and light, a welcomed contrast to the stoicism and gravity of the museum's main body Neo-Classical architecture. The only aspect of the wing that breaks the mood is the obligatory donor names plastered everywhere; but hey, you gotta make money somehow.
The deceptively slim looking atrium, leads to a surprising amount of gallery space. Just off Griffin Court on the first floor are the Abbott Galleries and the Carolyn and Matthew Bucksbaum Gallery. The Abbott Galleries, located to the West, will house different exhibitions. This is where the Cy Twombly works from 2000 to 2007 are being shown. On the East side, the Bucksbaum Gallery now houses the museum's photography collection. The Contemporary and Architecture and Design galleries are located respectively on the East and West side of the second floor. Both collections have had some recent additions, but the most surprising were the acquisitions for the Contemporary collection. Along side old favorites from the likes of Eva Hesse and Gerhard Richter are recently purchased works by Jeff Koons, Robert Gober, Charles Ray, and Bruce Nauman. The museum has really made an effort to build up their Contemporary Collection, as well as bring out pieces patrons have not seen in a while. Upstairs, the third floor houses the Modern European Collection, containing works by Picasso, Matisse, Dali and others.
A hefty collection is to be expected, but the sheer amount, quality, and diversity of work the museum has on show, combined with the architecture itself, is absolutely breathtaking. The Modern Wing far exceeded my expectations. I would highly recommend it for visitors to the city, and would expect Chicagoans to check it out to welcome the newest member of the city.