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3 little-known museums in NYC    DIA art foundation

The DIA Art Foundation, set up in 1974, is the owner of several museums and art centres. While they are all to be recommended, we particularly like the DIA: Beacon, situated in the town of the same name on the banks of the Hudson in New York State. It’s an hour and a half from the city centre by train. The foundation, which was created to support art, was really born with the idea of pushing the boundaries out on the concept of museums in answer to the revolution brought about by new forms of art in the 1960s and 70s. Ever since then the principal work of the foundation has been to back and exhibit work that would otherwise not come about or be displayed anywhere else. It is home to large-scale paintings, installations and sculptures. The museum is housed in an enormous building that was originally a biscuit factory owned by the Nabisco Company. So now, where previously millions of biscuits were produced, the visitor can contemplate the foundation’s collection which includes work by Joseph Beuys, John Chamberlain, Walter De Maria, Dan Flavin, Donald Judd, Imi Knoebel, Blinky Palermo, Fred Sandback, Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol, Robert Whitman and by many other artists whose often unknown special work caused rupture in the world of art in their time.

diaart.org/


Museum of Moving Image

Of all the museums that we know, the Museum of
Moving Image, which focuses on everything audiovisual, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and unique. Seen from the outside, this building looks like any other residential block in the area, but as soon as you walk in through the door you realise that this really is a special place. This alone would be enough to justify the existence of many other museums, but it’s only the beginning here. The museum manages to achieve what very few others can do: it’s pleasurable and interesting for both the expert and the casual visitor. On the one hand, the visitor can experience all the different elements of cinema (history, industry, professions…) in a very entertaining and didactic manner, and, on the other, the museum has exhibitions on and screens the work of vanguard filmmakers. Most importantly, the museum is a living, breathing organism with more than 400 screenings a year. Work based on our current reality is the mainstay of the programming. This always sensible programming is open to all forms of the art: TV series, animation, experimentation, TV programmes, video games, film classics and video creation. A great excuse to take a walk down to the Astoria borough in Queens, which while off the beaten track, is home to this museum and a really fascinating place.

movingimage.us/

PS1

The PS1 museum’s main characteristic is risk. It has had its own special take on contemporary art since it was founded in 1971. Alanna Heiss set it up under the name Institute for Art and Urban Resources. So, as the name implies, it has been closely tied to what has been happening in art at street level since its inception. More than to display exhibitions, the project was created as a space to help the production of art. Its main function throughout these years has been to showcase new work rather build up a collection. The project is a meeting place for the most experimental art and works with new artists, ideas, formats and art genres. This sensation of being in a very different space is always present during your visit. Sometimes you are able to go and view the process of assembling a work of art. There are also many chances to interact with the art being displayed. We didn’t see any signs saying ‘Do Not Touch’, and the museum does the least amount possible to direct your visit. There is no set itinerary or definite separation of spaces. It´s not unusual to find parties and DJ sessions in the museum programme. In the year 2000, the PS1 became affiliated with the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) and they have been working together to this day. Since then the museum has been known as MOMA PS1. We suppose you could call it MOMA’s ‘radical’ brother..

momaps1.org/