MoMA PS1: The Good, The Bad and The Misunderstood

Janet Cardiff and Darren Badder are some of the artists who were exhibiting in MoMA PS1, and which artworks I consider "Good," "Bad," and "Misunderstood." The mixed media used in their installations were unconventional, and most of the artworks presented were conceptual. However, when I attended the exhibition I found the experience quite enjoyable, strange, and questionable. Nevertheless, no matter what reaction I did have, these exhibitions were worth to be seen.

By far,  I believe that "The Forty Part Motet,"  by Janet Cardiff  is "Good Art" for her eloquent installation. The artist presented forty speakers in an aired- illuminated room  playing a recorded choir, in which each speaker played an individual voice. While walking around the room, the presence of the choir filled up the space, and each voice of the singers could be heard closely from the speakers. The atmosphere of the room was solemn. I evoked some memories of ceremonies, and pictured some images of  cold and spaced churches. This installation was suggestive, so I definitely consider it "Good Art".

On the other hand,  I consider "Real Fruit/Veggies on Pedestals" by Darren Badder "Bad Art"  because it looked strange. His exhibition consisted in a number of wooden columns standing in the middle of a room, while some fresh fruits and vegetables  rested on  top of them. Moreover, the fruits and vegetables were served to the viewers during the exhibition. Aesthetically,  the installation looked pale to me, and it did not provoke me any particular reaction, yet I acknowledge that the concept of the artwork was still valid, since the artist used food as a medium that the spectators could eat. Anyway, I feel that this installation was "Bad Art" because it was boring, and probably the only reason to have remained in the room for more than one minute was because I was hungry.

Another artwork that Darren Badder exhibited was "Thetuesdayafter," which I "Misunderstood," since the mixed media of this artwork was quite intriguing. The artist presented a room where there were: a dishwasher machine with a whole regular pizza in it, a croissant resting on the floor, and a live iguana in a glass cage. Moreover, the public who visited the exhibition could adopt the reptile if they lived outside New York. My reactions to this artwork were: a smiling face, curiosity and questions. However, there are two things that I can point about this exhibition: 1) Some things have not explanation, and 2) People who live outside  New York could be very lucky to own an exotic pet.  For sure, I misunderstood this artwork, but I really appreciate its commitment to rescue animals and to find new homes for them.

To sum up, I consider Janet Cardiff and Darren Badder's artwork "Good," " Bad,"  and "Misunderstood" because I could capture some of the concepts of their eccentric fashion, but in other cases I did not.

Janet Cardiff
"The forty Part Motet"
40-Track sound recording (14 minutes), 40 speakers
2001

Darren Badder
"Real Fruit/Veggies on Pedestals"
Pedestals of wood, fruits, vegetables
2012

Darren Badder
"Thetuesdayafter"
Glass cage, iguana, croissant, pizza dishwasher machine
2012