It is raining again for Julie’s class and there is a bus strike! Noon arrived, and the weather finally shined upon Julie’s class—sunny and warm with a light wind. We met Shara at the front of the Rome Center and decided to see a short introduction about Chris Burden (a famous contemporary artist known for his performance art).
Ten minutes later, we boarded bus 492 for Gagosian Gallery to witness the legendary work of Chris Burden—his exhibit named The Hear: Open or Closed.
The upscale location of this gallery conveyed the quality and fame of Burden’s works. We ascended the stairs to first face Burden’s creation of Dreamer’s Folly (2010), a “series of three highly ornamental cast-iron gazebos reminiscent of those common to traditional English gardens.” (as described by its press release). We sat in this rather delicate structure as we listened to Shara’s description of the purpose of such art. We then proceeded to Burden’s Nomadic Folly ( 2001), an Arabian-like nomad tent with oriental carpets, plush pillows, silk curtains, glass lamps, and seductive Turkish-Armenian music. Such a soothing bed of art eased our minds and lulled us into a dream-like state as we drifted in and out of consciousness. Shara’s words flowed with the calming breeze and rested against our ears. A few more minutes and we were out the door, rejuvenated and ready for MACRO (Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome). This time, we stopped outside of the city walls. The architecture, as Shara explained, was more French in style. We strolled along Via dei Villini and surveyed the villas as prospective buyers.
Finally, we entered the gates of MACRO.
The first showpiece at the center of the entrance was a black steel tower. One climbs it to venture through the artist’s mind as this tower is filled with the artist’s experiences and emotions. Then it was up to the second level. We carefully tiptoed through strange metal grids, studied concealed beetle covered artworks through floor mirrors, and rolled along edges of walls decorated with miniscule framed art (we had some fun attempting yoga on the carpeted floor). After a few brief visits to other rooms of contemporary art, we left this interesting complex.
It was an end to a great day and week (perfect for walking too)!
Ciao amici,
Alexis and Teo
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