We went to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MassMOCA) in North Adams yesterday. It’s a really interesting space in a lovely place. Last year there the main exhibition had to do with games, and it was, well, fun. Not moving or even particuarlyly enlightening, but fun. This year it focuses on Viennese art and it’s not moving, not particularly enlightening and not fun.

It is absolutely the case that I don’t know enough about contemporary art to be able to understand what I was looking at. But here’s my new dictum for myself: When viewing an artwork adds nothing to the verbal explanation of it, skip viewing it.

E.g., the video screen that over the course of half an hour cycles through every visible shade of green? Skip it!

E.g., the purposefully dull paintings hung on a plain white cube that’s a statement about the importance of context? Skip it!

E.g., the ten minute video of a guy digging a hole in the forest? Skip it!

We did, however, get a cute windup toy and a bottle of artsy Bloody Mary mix.

Categories: Uncategorized dw