We’ve already
placed a spotlight on some of the talent teeming through the walls of the Eli and Edythe Broad Museum - but now that it’s open – we are aware of how much more thought has gone into the conception of this new contemporary art museum. But a question lingers in the air, as people silently ponder: how will the community benefit from its existence?
The Building
For one, the structure alone has already brought curious media and architectural aficionados from around the world to see the work of Dame Zaha Hadid, the award-winning architect behind its design. The 46,000-square-foot building with stainless steel and glass panels stands as quite the contradiction from the preexisting relic backdrop of MSU’s north campus buildings. Architectural writers Robert Landon and Paul Clemence traveled to attend the opening weekend of the museum from New York City.
It seems much thoughtful intention was taken to build this modern structure against the backdrop of an old-fashioned portion of campus; evidently, the location “integrates both city and campus,” says Clemence. “There were prettier places on campus, but this area was chosen on purpose because of the city, allowing for easy bus access, the convenient location to restaurants, etc.”
By strategically building the museum on campus, right across from the busyness that is downtown East Lansing, art enthusiasts have the opportunity to explore both the exhibits within Broad, as well as all that East Lansing and Lansing have to offer. It is estimated that Broad will bring in an astounding $5.75 million in new spending from approximately 150,000 visitors annually, according to a study by the Anderson Economic Group. This large amount of influx in spending within Greater Lansing can mean big and great things for our beloved city.
The Exhibitions
At the media preview, Michigan State University President Lou Anna K. Simon, Philanthropist Eli Broad, and Founding Director Michael Rush addressed the press. We learned of the inaugural exhibitions, which were curated by Rush, who aims to focus on “presenting international contemporary art in all media and on thematic exhibitions that investigate contemporary works within a historical context.” All art was inherited from the former MSU Art Museum, Kresge, and the Broad Collections, which include some of the most prominent pieces of postwar and contemporary art worldwide.
The opening exhibits were “In Search of Time”, which showcased more than 600 years of historical works, and the more present-day focused “Global Groove 1973/2012,” which hosted an array international video/mixed media art.
The installations are thought-provoking, moving, haunting, and historic. As you experience the work through the three floors, plan to be taken aback by the intricacy and detail, as the staircase weaves you around from exhibit to exhibit, taking in the beauty. Works such as the “Inigo Manglano-Ovalle: Red Factor,” which featured a breathtaking geodesic dome comprised of nylon fabric, aluminum tubes, and cable, with a delicate looking red bird perched gently on the main cable wire. This piece runs above the main gallery space, catching one’s eye upon their initial entrance.
Then there’s the “In Search of Time” exhibit, being drawn most dominantly to it by “The Kingdom of the Father,” by Damien
Hirst. This elaborate stained glass piece could keep one for hours, just noticing all of the small particulars within each portion of the exhibit. Imagine making your way upstairs to watch portions of each video installation on display, wishing you had more time to watch each in full.
The Artists
Then you wander over to the mixed media/photography displays, and get struck by Sam Jury’s “Another Thing Coming” installation. These pieces personally moved me, yet left me feeling a bit sad and confused. Luckily we had the chance over lunch to discuss the works with the artist herself. Sam is a very talented world-renown artist who traveled straight from her home in Great Britain to be a part of Broad’s opening weekend festivities. She was happy to explain the motivation behind her work.
As I pondered over the ghostly images of women, and questioned why something so beautiful left me feeling so unsettled, Sam explains that “the medium is the message. My work is supposed to be seductive but unsettling as well.” While her background is in painting, she began to take an interest in how media images could be manipulated. In an age when it is “difficult to place a person in time because of plastic surgery, etc., media images in magazines are especially unsettling because of the additional air brushing that takes place.”
The images and people we see are not the reality of who they really are, so to speak. Thus, she began collecting images and then making composites, as well as taking photographs herself, of heads submerged in water, in order to distort them a bit. Her work is of images captured that do not exist anywhere, nor are they of anybody, in time, but rather created fusions of pieces of existing images.
The Impact
With the opening of MSU’s Broad Museum, an environment is created for both art lovers and architecture devotees alike.
There is a bit of something for everyone within this collection, and it will bring admirers from all walks of life, and all parts of the world, to our city, as showcased in the opening week alone.
The Capital region has transformed itself from a city known mainly for the state’s legislation and its Spartans, to one that stands out as a tourist destination as well. So, whether you love or hate the building design which has been affectionately coined “MSU’s spaceship,” one must appreciate and recognize the talent that went into its creation, along with the worldwide recognition it has gained; leading to an influx in visitors traveling to our dear city merely to gawk at the architectural feat and amazing creations of artwork - while being patrons of our local establishments in the process.
Economic impact aside, we have gained an incredible architectural structure designed by a Pritzker Prize-winning architect, access to contemporary art works from all over the world, and a foundation for our region to establish more arts and culture placemaking efforts. It’s a win-win in our opinion!
Photos ©
Dave Trumpie
Dave Trumpie is the managing photographer for Capital Gains. He is a freelance photographer and owner of
Trumpie Photography.