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A New "Please Touch" Museum

1.23.2010 Leave a Comment



For once an art museum is actually giving patrons the opportunity to reach out and touch priceless artwork, well almost priceless artwork. The Queens Museum of Art in New York City, which is subsequently undergoing a massive expansion into its next-door neighbor the World's Fair Ice Rink, unveiled a piece by Daniel Bozhkov that was recently featured in the NYTimes. The work includes a plaster cast of Michelangelo's "Pieta" house behind walls of glass cubes but with a distinct opening through which anyone can reach out and touch what ends up being Jesus's torso.
The cast, on loan from the Met, was made from the original, now housed behind protective glass at the Vatican. After being attacked with a hammer the real Pieta is now housed behind protective glass.
According to the Times:
Mr. Bozhkov, a Bulgarian-born conceptualist, likes to facilitate this kind of interaction with art. Much of his work has to do with the idea of the artist as a tradesman. In past projects he has apprenticed himself to bakers, airplane pilots and other kinds of workers, learning their skills and sharing some of his own.
hile I would never dream of corroding a true masterpiece with oil from my hands, the idea of connecting with such a famous piece through a proxy is incredibly appealing. Maybe, just maybe, the artistic brilliance of Michelangelo as transferred through this mold could inspire the next great master.





 

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