Contemplating the Void at the Guggenheim, NY

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Ascension Red
'Ascension (Red)' by Anish Kapoor, 2009.
(Image credit: Anish Kapoor)

New York’s Guggenheim Museum celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, and to draw celebrations to a close the gallery has this month unveiled an exhibition of work from some of the world’s most prolific creators.

Opened in 1959, the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building - and its gaping, empty central atrium – has long been a source of inspiration to exhibiting artists. The Guggenheim has harnessed this energy for its latest, salon-style exhibition, calling in propositions from some 200 architects, artists and designers, each of which outlines a fantasy plan for the Guggenheim void.

Taking its cue from previous works to inhabit the space – such as Jenny Holzer’s 1989 digital text installation and Daniel Buren’s candy strip curtain from 1971 – highlights from UNStudio, Elmgreen & Dragset and Patricia Urquiola sit alongside an elemental crimson tornado from Anish Kapoor; a Blakeian, nature-inspired vision by Matthew Ritchie and a characteristically concave offering from Zaha Hadid.

With trends of ‘returning to nature’; the effect of sound in the space, and a desire to climb the museum's numerous interior coils, recurring throughout the show, the selection of renderings will be on view until April 28.

fashion outfit by Doug Aitken

'Untitled' by Doug Aitken, 2009.

(Image credit: Doug Aitken)

Liquid Plastic Robot

'Liquid Plastic Robot' by Greg Lynn FORM, 2009.

(Image credit: Greg Lynn FORM)

Experiencing the Void by Julien De Smedt Architects

'Experiencing the Void' by Julien De Smedt Architects, 2009.

(Image credit: Julien De Smedt Architects)

State Fair Guggenheim

'State Fair Guggenheim' by MAD Architects (Yansong Ma), 2009

(Image credit: MAD Architects (Yansong Ma))

The House of GI–A Proposal

'The House of GI–A Proposal' by Matthew Ritchie, 2009.

(Image credit: Matthew Ritchie)

plant decoration

'Untitled' by N55 Denmark, 2009.

(Image credit: N55 Denmark)

musical wave

'Untitled (Proposal)' by Peter Coffin, 2009.

(Image credit: Peter Coffin)

'Proposal for One-Year Parade' by Pierre Huyghe

'Proposal for One-Year Parade' by Pierre Huyghe, 2009.

(Image credit: Pierre Huyghe)

Guggenheim as a Ruin by Sarah Sze

'Guggenheim as a Ruin' by Sarah Sze, 2009.

(Image credit: Sarah Sze)

Erratic Void

'Erratic Void' by SelgasCano, 2009.

(Image credit: SelgasCano)

picture of 'New York 2109' by Terunobu Fujimori,

'New York 2109' by Terunobu Fujimori, 2009.

(Image credit: Terunobu Fujimori)

spider web design

'SPIDERMUSE(UM)…WRIGHT-O-WEB…SPINNING GUGGY…' by Acconci Studio (Vito Acconci), 2009.

(Image credit: Acconci Studio (Vito Acconci))

Zaha Hadid Architect

'Z Wave' by Zaha Hadid Architects. 2006.

(Image credit: Zaha Hadid Architects)

Shark China

'Shark China' by Zhang Huan, 2009.

(Image credit: Zhang Huan)

ADDRESS

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Avenue (at 89th Street)
New York
NY 10128-0173

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