Going gaga over Guggenheim

Words and photos by Eva Enriquez 

The UH Art Department offered a class a spring class on Professional Practices by Professor Debra Drexler. The class included a trip to one of the most exciting cities for art in the world: New York City.

A group of UH art students visited Nueva York, as I would say in Spanish, for eight days to visit its most important art museums and art galleries, and interview art critics, gallery owners and curators.

“We had class in the street” as artist, curator and writer, Robert Edelman said when he gave us a tour around one of the art districts.

I also come from a great city also, Madrid, and I think New York is the most stimulating city that I have ever been in. The noise of cars from the street, the sidewalks bustling with people, and the huge buildings allow this place to vibrate with its own chaotic rhythms.

Among all the visits to museums and galleries, my visit to the Guggenheim Museum was one of my favorites, and impacted me the most. Even though I had just flown in from Hawaii that morning and I was really jet lagged, I can't stop thinking about this architectural space!

The main show was called Haunted: Contemporary Photography/ Video/ Performance and journeyed to the past with dated technologies by contemporary artists.

When we first got into the museum, I felt enchanted by the rounded walls; similar to the feelings I had before when I went to Notre Dame cathedral in Paris or the Roman Coliseum. Seriously, the circular open structure grabbed my attention for a while, especially while I began to walk the lateral gallery space, which swirls with a gentle ramp four floors up.

Everything at the Guggenheim is masterfully done, allowing the viewer to experience the space while watching the exhibition. I looked over the lateral gallery's balcony over and over, feeling the movement and vibrant life of the building as if I was transported into a beehive. I wish I could let his architect Frank Lloyd Wright how I felt. Thanks anyway, Mr. Wright.

For more information, visit http://www.guggenheim.org/