Modern Wing taking flight

May 23, 3:43 PMChicago Museum ExaminerJeff Stevenson

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The new $294 million Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago 

There is a lot being said about the new Modern Wing at The Art Institute of Chicago and it is being said with a lot of excitement.  Rightly so.   Architect Renzo Piano has landed a soaring success as members enjoy gliding through the airy spaces during member previews.

When the crowd turns right, try taking a left and climbing the open stairs to the 3rd floor. Benefit from the cardiovascular stimulation and reap the reward of the most stunning view of Millennium Park / Chicago skyline through the glass wall on the entire north exposure.

The galleries are spacious, well lit with both natural and balanced museum lighting, and offering more examples of some of the artists in the permanent collection than ever before. Often entire rooms are devoted to one artist providing visitors with a new depth of experience previously impossible.

Gerhard Richter is one such artist whose work is particularly far reaching in style.  A more complete understanding of his work can be absorbed by the selections on exhibit now.

A long time Chicago favorite, Joseph Cornell is featured on an entire wall behind a nearly invisible glass curtain, as are collections of other small works by Surrealists, Dadaist, and other collage artists of that era.

The crowds might start catching up with you once you descend to the second floor, however the flow of the galleries is smooth and rarely causes bottlenecks. The only dead-end gallery is in the Architecture and Design wing, and these rooms are open enough to allow easy circulation.

The first floor temporary exhibition spaces are generous in terms of wall space and open floor space so that the over sized recent paintings by Cy Twombly: The Natural World seem right at home. Across the hall is the more intimate Photography, Film, Video, and New Media galleries.

With the number of artworks on display, some old familiar favorites and some newly exhibited or acquired, and with the beautifully detailed architectural achievement of the building itself, visitors are promised new discoveries for many years to come.

For more info: Slide show of The Modern Wing