Category: Gallery Club

The home of cre8tive YouTH*ink’s already famous Gallery Club, headed by Robin Cembalest, ARTnews Magazine executive editor.

Kraftwerk Retrospective 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 at MoMA Opening Night (Autobahn)

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Kraftwerk’s futuristic meditations on the sounds of our industrial society are laid claim to by both of their musical descendants–the super-abstract avant-industrial school, and the super-underground disco party-goers who shook what their mama gave them throughout the ’80s to the group’s infectious rhythms. The influence of their conceptual sonic experiments is immeasurable, and  includes: Devo, the Cars, the Human League, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, Afrika Bambaataa, 2 Live Crew, all Detroit techno, the Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, and Radiohead.

 …a dramatic fresco, powerful and harrowing – worthy of an abstract painting, electronic dadaism, surrealist poetry  — Piero Scaruffi

Autobahn – Opening Night

Kraftwerk Performing at The Museum of Modern Art. PHOTO + WORLDWIDE 2012 © by Peter Boettcher

Autobahn is more minimalist than subsequent works, and many argue after this release, the band abandoned all intellectual pretense, giving in to the fame and glamor of the discopop world. As a fan myself, I remember dancing to “Numbers” (Computer World) at the Paradise Garage with Larry Levan behind the turntables, and having also given up all intellectual pretense, I always liked each album even more than the previous one, so I might not be the most objective critic.

I do know that it was really special to go back to the beginning and see Autobahn performed in MoMA’s main atrium, a context that brought together the group’s various and complex layers of music, sound, videos, sets and performance. That is, notwithstanding getting yelled at by an annoyed Michael Stipe, standing behind me and Nibs, beckoning me to “be in the moment”, and stop taking pictures. Sorry Michael, I couldn’t help myself.

Kraftwerk Performing at The Museum of Modern Art. PHOTO + WORLDWIDE 2012 © by Peter Boettcher

This  album, recorded in German, was Kraftwerk’s first international success (subsequent releases were recorded in English and German). It was voted one of Spin Magazine’s 15 Most Influential Albums, Autobahn features hypnotic crescendos wrapped in romantic melodies intertwined with medieval dance rhythms and sounds. It is considered a pioneering work for use of the drum machine, vocoders and computer speech technology, but the real success of this album is due to those distant lingering melodies.

Opening Night Setlist

“We Are the Robots”
“Autobahn”
“Kometenmelodie 1”
“Kometenmelodie 2
“Mitternacht”
“Morgenspaziergang”
“Radioactivity”
“Trans Europe Express”
“Robots”
“The Model”
“The Man Machine”
“Numbers”
“Computer World”
“Computer Love”
“Home Computer”
Tour De France + Intro
Tour de France Etape 2
“Planet of Visions”
“Boing”
“Techno Pop”
“Music Nonstop”

Up Close and Personal – Gallery Club Thursday with Nibor at the Metropolitan Museum!

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Nibor’s First Love

William, a bright-blue hippo who lives in the Egyptian Wing, was Nibor’s first love at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but later there were many more. As an intern at the museum after college, she ranged far and wide over its vast collections, helping out as a tour guide and at the front desk. These days she returns often.

Join her this Spring Break on Thursday for a personal tour of some old favorites, new galleries, and special exhibitions. During a day of looking, sketching and conversation, she’ll give tips on how to decide what to see–and how to find it–so you can use these great collections as a resource when you come back on your own.

Morning Session 11:00am – 1:00pm

Walk Like an Egyptian

First we’ll visit the Egyptian galleries, learning about the art history of mummies and seeing everything from William the Hippo (above) to the Temple of Dendur.

The Museum's collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately twenty-six thousand objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from the Paleolithic to the Roman period (ca. 300,000 B.C.–A.D. 4th century).

Sword Play

Then we’ll move to the Arms and Armor exhibition from Europe, America, Japan, India, and various Islamic cultures.

Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.

Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas

These galleries showcase art of the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa, the Pacific Islands, and North, Central, and South America dating from as early as 3000B.C.E. to the present. Nibor stops in at some of her faves, including this Ci Wara headddress from Africa’s Bamana peoples and a feathered hanging from Peru’s Wari culture.

Headdress: Male Antelope (Ci Wara)

Lunch in Central Park 1:00pm-2:30pm

Picnic lunch and play Frisbee in Central Park

Afternoon Session 2:30pm-5:00pm

Islamic Art

We return from lunch to visit the museum’s newest galleries to see works ranging in date from the 7th to the 19th century, from as far westward as Spain and Morocco and as far eastward as Central Asia and India.

The Museum's collection of Islamic art ranges in date from the seventh to the nineteenth century. Its nearly twelve thousand objects reflect the great diversity and range of the cultural traditions of Islam.

‘Chinese Art in an Age of Revolution’

Finally, we wrap up our day at this special exhibition showcasing the art of Fu Baoshi, a figure painter and landscapist of China’s modern period, who lived through the overthrow of China’s last imperial dynasty and the establishment of the Chinese Republic.

Perhaps the most original figure painter and landscapist of China's modern period, Fu Baoshi created indelible images celebrating his homeland's cultural heritage while living through one of the most devastating periods in Chinese history.
Sketchpads, lunch and metrocards compliments of the Gallery Club.

This event was made possible by the artist Retna.

Kraftwerk – Retrospective 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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Over eight consecutive nights, MoMA presents a chronological exploration of the sonic and visual experiments of Kraftwerk with a live presentation of their complete repertoire in the Museum’s Marron Atrium. Each evening consists of a live performance and 3-D visualization of one of Kraftwerk’s studio albums—Autobahn (1974), Radio-Activity (1975), Trans-Europe Express (1977), The Man-Machine (1978), Computer World (1981), Techno Pop (1986), The Mix (1991), and Tour de France (2003)—in the order of their release. Read more here… Mista Oh! will be at the opening night (Autobahn). Just in case you wanted to know.