Kadoya Art House

As a follow up to the post “Museums are Hospitality”  I created a thread on the American Association of Museum’s Linkedin thread “What is the Business of Museums?“.   I suggested that “Museums are in the “hospitality” business, not the education business”.  The response has been great.  Although, Many people felt that I didn’t understand the business of museums or that it was “sacrilege” to say that museums are in the “Hospitality” business.  The longer the discussion continued, the more convinced I became that museums are in the “Hospitality” business, but now for different reasons.  The responses got me thinking about a “core” business of museums that is an intangible, that I will call “connecting with the muses“.

Museums grew out of Cabinets of Curiosities, a way for the wealthy to collect and organize the objects of their travels and education, you could think of Cabinets of Curiosities as a way for the rich to show off to guests.  There are many different types of hosts; humble hosts, conceited hosts, fun hosts, etc..  As museum professionals we are acting as the host of our museum and we dictate the type of experience for the visitor.

Last week I was in Union Square in San Francisco and walked into the St. Francis Hotel to use the bathroom. As soon as I walked in, I buttoned my jacket, looked in the mirror to check my hair, stood straighter. I wanted to become worthy of the “attitude” of the St. Francis, even if only to use the bathroom. My reasons, were because of the style, elegance and expense of the hotel.  Museums “ask” visitors to be better people, to reach their full potential. The reasons for me straightening my hair at the St. Francis are different then the reasons that I straighten my hair at the Museum of Modern Art, but the impact on me is the same, I want to be a better person. Creating an atmosphere of potential is a part of hospitality, “what can be”, “who can we become”, to nurture the spirit in each of us to be a better person. “Hospitality” is not pandering, it is elevating an experience.  Museums are “serving” their communities by asking them to be better people, not giving them what they “want”. We all want to be better people, but sometimes we need to be reminded to reach and that is the role of a museum, to remind us of our potential, what is possible and what has been accomplished.

I don’t believe any amount of market research or marketing would support, building the Cy Twombly Gallery.  But there it sits, one of the best museum experiences ever. The de Menil family had faith that building such a place would enrichen the lives of visitors. I felt as if, I was welcomed into the home of the de Menil’s and they shared with me their passion for the work of Cy Twombly. The de Menils are wonderful hosts.

This is a very personal list, some of my favorite places to “connect with the muses”

1. Cy Twonbly Gallery
2. Benesse Art Museums
3. Storm King
4. Museum of Jurasic Technology
5. City Museum
6. The Modern Museum of Art
7. Yale Art Gallery
8. Noguchi
9. Mass MOCA
10. DIA Beacon
11. The Earth Room

“Killer Ring” By Tobias Wong, Photo Courtesy the New York Times

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Tobias Wong. Tobias was a young artist / designer living in New York City. Tobias blurred the lines between Art and Design and made us more aware of the american consumer culture.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/06/27/style/20100627WONG.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/fashion/27Wong.html

Images: Daniele Mattioli

Amazing exhibition “Seed Cathedral” at Expo 2010 Shanghai China. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick.

http://www.heatherwick.com/uk-pavilion/

http://en.expo2010.cn/c/en_gj_tpl_71.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkirk_Wheel

Concept Video:

http://www.bennettmg.co.uk/video/falkirk_concept.htm

In Operation:

http://www.bennettmg.co.uk/video/falkirk.htm

Antoine Predock skiing on the roof of one of his buildings.

I am sitting on the deck in Ubud, Bali, thinking “who are my heroes?”.  Below is a short list.  They all are:

• Free thinkers
• Live life as an adventure
• Keep trying, keep pushing
• Have managed to change the discipline of Art and design.

-Mark

Antoine Predock – He has combined Architecture, Art, Motorcycles, Scuba, Skiing and Dance, and his buildings are damn sexy!

Ingo Maurer – Has combined sculpture with lighting using a atelier structure for his business

Gaetano Pesce – An artist /designer, who creates “one off” functional Art.

Vito Acconci – Started as a Poet, then Sculptor, crossed over into architecture, industrial design and landscape architecture. Link to MIT Show Recent article about studio

James Ossi – I met James in 1990 and it changed my life.  An artist who makes machines that create square bubbles?!!  He was living in a farmhouse with a studio in the back and teaching.

Ron Arad – Industrial Designer, started by making Hi fidelity stereo equipment out of concrete, went on to have a furniture studio and now an architecture firm.