In just a couple of weeks, Sanford Biggers’ show The Cartographer’s Conundrum will be at MASS MoCA. With another exciting installation about to take place in our giant Building 5 gallery, we thought we’d take a look back at some of the shows that have graced this enormous space in the past.

1999-2000: The 1/4 Mile or 2 Furlong Piece

In 1999, Robert Rauschenberg’s extensive work was our first major exhibit in the space. This self-contained collage-like retrospective of mixed media also served as the setting for MASS MoCA’s grand opening gala.

2001-2003: 14 Stations

In 2001, Robert Wilson’s sculptural installation 14 Stations filled the space. It was a seminal interpretation of the Via Crucis or “Way of the Cross”- referring to the moments of passion Christ experienced en route to crucifixion. Visitors could peer into each structure to experience the different scenes and figures along the way.

2004-2005: Inopportune

A few years later, nine exploding cars took over the 300 foot long gallery, suspended from the ceiling with multicolored rods shooting in all directions. This dramatic stop-motion moment served as the centerpiece for Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang’s show Inopportune.

2007-2008: Projections

In 2007, Jenny Holzer transformed the space with large-scale projections of selected poetry by Wislawa Szymborska. Coupled with giant bean bags scattered throughout the room, visitors were invited to sit back and absorb the surreal landscape and accompanying messages.

2008-2009: The Nanjing Particles

In 2008, English conceptual artist Simon Starling animated the huge exhibition space with large sculptural forms derived from microscopic particles.

2009-2010: Gravity is a Force to be Reckoned With

A year later, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle explored the failings of Modernism with his upside-down glass house. The exhibit was based on Mies van der Rohe’s uncompleted project The House With Four Columns (1951), a square structure open to view on all four sides through glass walls. Everything hung in suspension and a phone rang off the hook.

Up next…. Stay tuned for Sanford Biggers’ show, opening on February 4, 2012!

Here’s to many more amazing shows in the future!

In honor of Stephanie Rothenberg’s mixed reality talk show Best Practices in Banana Time being held at MASS MoCA this past weekend, we asked our patrons:

 “If you could have a job in Second Life what would you do?�

Here’s what people said!

I would be a Bird…

Baker

Chef

I would be a Veterinarian and heal horses, bunnies, dogs, and cats

To paint portraits or a photographer

 

Farmer

I would be a poet, or a musician, or an actor…

Build small boxes to hold decorative corks.

An architect.  I would travel the world, speaking different languages, meeting new people, and bringing aesthetic beauty to the eyes of all.

I would make sure the starts would come out at night.

 What would YOU do if you had a job in Second Life?

Top Ten Reasons To Shop

HARDWARE @ MASS MoCA and MASS MoCA by Design

This Holiday Season

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On November 15th MASS MoCA and the Williams College American Studies Program hosted a public conversation about Occupy Wall Street – preceded by a walk-through of The Workers, an exhibition which proposes the kind of solidarity that the Occupy movement also seems to be working toward.  The event was informative and inspiring but hopefully just the beginning of the conversation.

100 people came to the event. It was a diverse group, including Williams College faculty and students, North Adams residents, the founder of Occupy Northern Berkshires, a representative of the April 4th coalition (a group of labor advocates, unemployed workers,  and concerned citizens formed in the wake of the protests in Wisconsin), as well as neighbors from Williamstown, Adams, and even Bennington.

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Below is a video update from John Kelly about the work-in-progress showing, Find My Way Home, that’s happening this Saturday, October 15, at 8 PM. Find My Way Home retells the Myth of Orpheus & Eurydice in the Great Depression time period adding elements of opera, period dance, cinematic acting, projected film sequences, extravagant costume and set design, and a company of dancers for a performance art piece not to be missed. Check out the clip below for a further understanding of the work put into this particular showing.

Who else drinks coffee to keep the work day going and caps off the night with wine? Don’t we all?

What do Amy Poehler, Fred Armisen, Zach Galifianakis, and Sarah Silverman have in common?  They all have performed with comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade! The Upright Citizens Brigade TourCo will bless us with their humor at MASS MoCA on Saturday, October 8 at 8pm!

A small history lesson on UCB:

-1996: Comedians Matt Besser (Reno 911), Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation), Ian Roberts (Anchorman), and Matt Walsh (Old School) leave Chicago’s ImprovOlympic to move New York, forming the Upright Citizens Brigade to teach and perform improv

-1998-2000:  The TV series “Upright Citizens Brigadeâ€� airs on Comedy Central for 3 seasons, featuring popular comedy sketches from their live performances, as well as new material.  The show follows the Upright Citizens Brigade, an organization “with no government ties and unlimited resources,” allowing for chaos to ensue… Read the rest of this entry »