Month: December 2007

SF MOMA — Six Truths and a Lie

All of these are things we heard from museum guards at the SF MOMA today — except for one. Can you spot the lie?

“Don’t lean”

“Don’t get too close”

“Don’t yell”

“Don’t kick”

“Don’t lick”

“Don’t blow on it”

“Don’t jump”

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(Clockwise from top) Audrey in “Notion Motion”, Leo and Audrey in “360 degree room for all colours”, in the mist of “Beauty”, and wearing blankets before entering the room with the frozen BMW.

And the only one we didn’t hear was “Don’t yell”. Yes, the over-protective guards of the installations by Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson told the kids not to blow (on water that was in a pool), not to jump (on creaky floorboards whose purpose was to make the not-to-be-blown water move), and don’t lick (???) or kick(???) the frozen car.

The exhibit was called “Take Your Time “.

Best part of the Eliasson show – “Ventilator” (1997)

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The thing I think I liked best was the fan, hanging on a cable, buzzing around the atrium. The kids loved it and it was a great way to enter the museum and start having fun. The brochure says that it used to be at shoulder height, but was “adjusted upward for SF MOMA”. It’s like the dangerous crack in the floor at the Tate, only it’s America and someone would sue.