Shop. Relax. Enjoy!
2022 | Chicago, IL
This project correlates with a written review of the Art Institute of Chicago by Irving Shen.
An alternative proposal to the Art Institute of Chicago’s Modern Wing. It reimagines the settings that are created to display and view art. It criticizes the way art is displayed, comparing it to shopping experiences in which roaming and imaging are essential. The proposal heightens the existing condition and introduces reconfiguration.
The new Modern Wing is a field of free-standing objects that houses the art collection. Similar to retail spaces, the field allows dynamic browsing. This project presents the Modern Wing as a big-box store, where the interior is the highlight and the exterior is austere. There is only one monumental entrance in the new wing, which forces people to wander and cover more ground before leaving the museum. Additionally, to help visitors focus on the art and to protect the paintings from the sun, the Modern Wing also only has three arched windows on top of the entrance revolving doors.
The form of each object is based on forced one-point perspective. It explores the potential of translating 2D portrayals of 3D spaces to 3D representations of 2D illustrations. The forced perspective forms can be stand-alone, can sometimes connect at the focal points, and can sometimes be placed adjacent to each other.
Last but not least, the materials and finishes exemplify contrasting relationships but also evoke the history of gallery spaces. On the exterior, the facade cladding brings forth the notion of a curtain and is slightly pulled back to reveal the bare bones of a building—masonry blocks. The interior wall of the box expresses the digital blankness of PNG, in contrast with the sincere wood finishes of the superfurniture. Then, the pastel colors on the interior of the objects connect back to the traditional picture galleries in museums.
Although this alternative proposal tries to be ironic in its critique, the outcome remains positive. Maybe an art museum isn’t so bad as a mall. Maybe everyone taking selfies in a confined box with the art can create the largest repository of fake Photoshoppable cutouts. This is an art museum that can reflect the contemporary, where imaging is easy and choices are many.
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Design Critic: Sam Jacob
Nominee, Schiff Fellowship Prize, Art Institute of Chicago
Selected Project, UIC SoA Year End Show
Nominee, Schiff Fellowship Prize, Art Institute of Chicago
Selected Project, UIC SoA Year End Show