modusoptimus

The great gallery of evolution has been redesigned in early 90s by architects Paul Chemetov and Borja Huidobro. They have also designed the Ministry of Economy and Finance building in Paris.

External links: Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Gallery of Evolution.

During this second trip to the Museum of Natural History, I took several pictures posted in the New York 2008 gallery. If interested, take a look at the photo collection in their research library. This is the one place where you never doubt about evolution.

Today is the 20th anniversary of death of Andy Warhol. I am not going to write his biography, but in the 60s he started to paint famous American products such as Campbell’s Soup Cans or Coca-Cola. In declaring that he wanted to be “a machine”, and in minimizing the role of his own creative insight in the production of his work, Warhol sparked a revolution in art – his work quickly became very controversial, and popular.

What’s great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest. You can be watching TV and see Coca-Cola, and you know that the President drinks Coke, Liz Taylor drinks Coke, and just think, you can drink Coke, too. A Coke is a Coke and no amount of money can get you a better Coke than the one the bum on the corner is drinking. All the Cokes are the same and all the Cokes are good. Liz Taylor knows it, the President knows it, the bum knows it, and you know it.

So here is my tribute to Andy Warhol: a picture of Campbell’s tomato and chicken noodle soup (I am not pretending my picture is art, it is just that you can find these at every corner). Next are Andy’s original Campbell’s soup cans and Gold Marilyn Monroe.

The other pictures are taken at the Museum of Modern Arts in New York City: OOF by Edward Ruscha and Five feet of Colorful Tools by Jim Dine.

The skyscraper museum, now located in a permanent gallery in Battery Park City, inhabited four temporary spaces from 1997 to 2003. The museum has an exhibit on the construction and history of the World Trade Center and on the different designs of the Freedom Tower. Almost every surface in this museum is mirrored, giving the space an expansive feel. In reality, it is quite small. The interior was designed by Roger Duffy of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

The 3rd picture is an old pier on the frozen Hudson river. This is the first time since I came to New York that I have seen this huge river freeze.