NY MoMA director in OZ: the future is online

Gordana Andjelic-Davila

Friday 25 June, 2010

ACMI: The Director of New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Glenn D. Lowry is visiting Australia because of the Tim Burton: The Exhibition which is currently showing at ACMI.

The Director of New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Glenn D. Lowry has presented a keynote address at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, (ACMI), this Thursday (24 June). Mr. Lowry is visiting Australia because of the Tim Burton: The Exhibition which is currently showing at ACMI. The exhibition is on its second leg of a world tour which began in New York, at the MoMA (Toronto, Los Angeles and Paris being other locations the exhibit will be going to). When asked how it came to be that Melbourne was chosen as the next city where audiences would be privy to Tim Burton’s amazing works. Mr. Lowry explained that ACMI – which has a very vital program – had expressed an interest in the exhibit coming to Melbourne, and since there was a history with the Centre from the 2007 Pixar: 20 Years of Animation, the collaboration evolved into one of great respect and friendship. It seemed the right step to take, he said. In addition Lowry it seems is a fan of Melbourne, which he calls a wonderful city that both he and Tim Burton are very fond of. The Tim Burton: The Exhibition at ACMI is the only staging in the Southern Hemisphere, because of this connection to the Victorian city. Though on a very brief visit to Australia, during his stay in Melbourne, Glenn D. Lowry has found time to visit the National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Centre for Contemporary Arts as well as the Ian Potter Gallery at the University of Melbourne, getting a ‘taste’ of the Melbourne Arts scene. He met with some local artists, whom he described as vital, energetic and very committed to their craft. Glenn D. Lowry became the sixth director of the MoMA, since it opened to the public in 1929. In the past 15 years, his major initiatives have included guiding the museum’s $900 million capital campaign for its expansion, renovation, endowment and strengthening its contemporary art program. In 2000 Lowry orchestrated and formalised the affiliation between Queens’ PS1 Contemporary Art Center and the Museum of Modern Art and by doing so, uniting a leader in cutting-edge art and the world's top museum of modern art. Ten years have passed since this historic joining of Arts’ forces and the question has come up whether the MoMa (and Mr. Lowry) would attempt to reproduce this model across the U.S., or if perhaps there was some possibility of a MoMA opening in Australia anytime soon? To this Lowry’s views are, that at present time he does not foresee replicating the PS1-MoMA model anywhere else, and there is clearly no prediction of pursuing the notion of opening up satellite institutions in Australia; he does however see further ventures on the horizon with Australian institutions being more viable, and welcomes this notion. The Tim Burton exhibition was developed by the MoMA; it features Tim Burton’s Visual Arts work from his childhood drawings, all the way to his mature work in film. It is composed of over 700 examples of unique photographs, drawings, paintings, storyboards, puppets and costumes spanning his near three decade career. The exhibition is stunning, but is it considered Contemporary Art, or should a category be created for it? Would the logical next step be, to feature – in museums, the likes of the MoMA – such creative beacons as: Academy Award winner James Cameron (The Abyss, The Titanic, Avatar), Academy Award for Best Costume Design Sandy Powell (The Young Victoria, Shakespeare in Love and The Aviator), or even Patricia Field’s array of costume designs for Sex in the City? Glenn D. Lowry describes Tim Burton’s body of work as being able to easily enter the public’s imagination. Burton makes very successful and at times extremely popular movies; and because of the MoMA’s long tradition and solid involvement with film and directors; the view is that Tim Burton creates cinematic art. All the steps in the creation of the end process, the drawings, paintings, photographs, storyboards, puppets, maquettes and costumes, are all individually impressive, but when they come together in the end result – the film – they become even more so. Whether there will be further expositions, featuring other cinematic creative greats, that remains to be seen, but not out of the question says Glenn D. Lowry, as their work is equally respected by the Museum. The MoMA launched its redesigned website in 2006. The new site includes an extensive online collection (over 24,000 works), and the world at large is becoming extremely more interested in the Museum via the internet, rather than through entering its doors. This "no borders" philosophy makes it possible for anyone, anywhere to view works of art that they otherwise would only ever see in a book, or by physically visiting the building on 53rd Street in Manhattan. The museum now can be followed on Facebook and Twitter, offering instant updates for those with insatiable appetites for the news in contemporary art. Glenn D. Lowry finds social media (and the internet in general) an extremely important social media tool. It is the key, he says, to a global audience. By making art readily available to the general public, and by allowing them to not only appreciate the works online, but also offer their opinion, MoMa is leading the way in an arena that traditionally shies away from embracing any but the art historian or art critic's opinion. “Social media allows a parallel universe to develop. It becomes a much larger conversation. I am excited by social media and any program which facilitates greater exposure to the Arts.” summed up Glenn D. Lowry. 

Tim Burton: The Exhibition is presented as part of Melbourne Winter Masterpieces 2010 for a strictly limited season from 24 June to 10 October 2010, only at ACMI. ********** Glenn D. Lowry will be in Sydney At the MCA For the Ann Lewis Contemporary Visual Arts International Address Friday 25 June, 6.30 – 8.00pm Museum of Modern Art, New York Director Glenn D. Lowry gives the inaugural address in honour of Ann Lewis, major Australian patron of the arts on The Museum of Modern Art and the Future: thoughts about art museums in the 21st century $10/$7 MCA Members & Concession Prepaid bookings essential: education@mca.com.au or 02 9245 2484

About the author

Gordana Andjelic-Davila is an Arts Hub contributor based in Melbourne. Find her on Twitter @flyinggondola

The above article was originally published by ArtsHub.com.au and can be viewed by clicking here.