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Ernesto Neto, The Dangerous Logic of Wooing, 2002
Current Exhibition
At the Hub of Things: New Views of the Collection
Currently on view
Third Level
At the Hub of Things. Image: Janine Antoni, Lick and Lather, 1993-1994

In celebration of the Museum's 40th anniversary, the Hirshhorn recently completed the first comprehensive renovation of the Third Level galleries, returning the sweeping, majestic spaces to architect Gordon Bunshaft’s original design.

 

The first exhibition in the new galleries is At the Hub of Things: New Views of the Collection, which reveals a fresh perspective on the Hirshhorn’s world-class holdings of modern and contemporary art. The title of the show accentuates the Museum’s role as a dynamic hub where diverse ideas converge and new connections are made between artists and audiences. Visitors will experience a thought-provoking array of works arranged in thematic groupings that bring together artists from a variety of generations, backgrounds, and approaches. Included are favorite artworks that have not been on view in years, such as large-scale installations by Spencer Finch, Robert Gober, Jannis Kounellis, Bruce Nauman, and Ernesto Neto, as well as paintings and sculptures by Janine Antoni, Aligheiro e Boetti, Cai Guo-Qiang, Isa Genzken, Alfred Jensen, and Brice Marden, among others. New hard-surface floors make it possible for the first time to show floor-bound sculptures by Louise Bourgeois, Katharina Fritsch, Anish Kapoor, Sol LeWitt, and Richard Long in these galleries. This installation also occasioned a brand-new iteration of two major text pieces by Lawrence Weiner, which will enliven the walls and windows of the Abram Lerner Room and will be visible from the National Mall.

 

At the Hub of Things: New Views of the Collection is organized by Evelyn Hankins and assistant curator Melissa Ho.The exhibition is made possible in part by support from the Estate of Frank B. Gettings in memory of Nancy Kirkpatrick and Frank Gettings, the Holenia Trust and members of the Hirshhorn Annual Circle Program.

 

RELATED PROGRAMS
James T. Demetrion Lecture:
Claes Oldenburg
Sat, Nov 8 | 4 pm
Claes Oldenburg

SPIRIT OF THE MONUMENT
One of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, Claes Oldenburg is known for his soft sculptures, performance pieces, and installations, as well as for the many architectural-scale public works he made with his late wife and partner Coosje van Bruggen. Featured prominently on the Hirshhorn’s Plaza and in the 40th anniversary exhibition At the Hub of Things: New Views of the Collection, Oldenburg’s works transform the scale, function, and shape of familiar objects, allowing viewers to see the ordinary in unexpected ways. Please join us for this tenth annual Demetrion Lecture, as the artist discusses the development of his inventive sculptural work. More…

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