Detail of Dan Graham & Gunter Vögt, ‘Hedge Two-Way Mirror Walkabout’ (all photographs by the author for Hyperallergic)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art recently opened the second in a series of commissions for its rooftop garden overlooking Central Park. The new installation, “Hedge Two-Way Mirror Walkabout,” is a collaboration between artist Dan Graham and landscape architect Gunther Vögt. It consists of a large S-curve metal and reflective glass wall flanked by two vine-covered trellises. The kempt lawn surrounding the structure slopes gradually upwards to meet its marble foundation.
Graham refers to this structure as a pavilion, the historical precedent of small, decorative architectural structures frequently used in traditional European garden design. It is perhaps more accurate to place this piece in the vein of the architectural folly, as this captures its spontaneous and playful character.
The use of such banal elements as residential hedges and semi-reflective glass — which could have been plucked out of any number of modern high-rises — lends a familiarity and invites exploration. The interplays of reflection and opacity, organic matter and modernist grid, human scale and the ever-present New York skyline create a multifaceted and personal experience for the viewer.
‘Hedge Two-Way Mirror Walkabout,’ installation view facing North
Graham discusses the work.
‘Hedge Two-Way Mirror Walkabout,’ installation view facing South
Detail, ‘Hedge Two-Way Mirror Walkabout’
Detail, ‘Hedge Two-Way Mirror Walkabout’
Detail, ‘Hedge Two-Way Mirror Walkabout’
Detail, ‘Hedge Two-Way Mirror Walkabout’
Detail
Detail, ‘Hedge Two-Way Mirror Walkabout’
Detail, ‘Hedge Two-Way Mirror Walkabout’
Installation view, ‘Hedge Two-Way Mirror Walkabout’
Model for “Double Exposure” proposal (1995)
“Triangular Solid with Circular Cut-Outs, Variation K” (2011–14)
“Triangular Solid with Circular Cut-Outs, Variation K” (2011–14)
The Roof Garden Commission: Dan Graham with Gunther Vögt continues at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through November 2.
The Latest
Three Looted Antiquities at the Met Repatriated to Turkey
Nine other repatriated works were seized from Met Trustee Shelby White, whose collection was subject to a criminal investigation.
Required Reading
This week, the world’s lightest paint, Pakistan’s feminist movement, World Puppy Day, and were some of Vermeer’s paintings created by his daughter?
The Wider World and Scrimshaw
On March 28, join the New Bedford Whaling Museum online and in-person for a symposium on global carving traditions from across the Pacific Rim.
Who Will Decide on the Future of a Miami Native Burial Ground?
Native activists say sacred remains and objects dug up from a Brickell construction site should remain there, but mega-developer Jorge Pérez is pushing back.
How Can a Curator Approach South Asian Futurisms?
How do I acknowledge my shortcomings while reckoning with obscured histories and the exclusion of subaltern narratives in the fine art landscape? A working checklist for curators.
MCA Chicago Presents On Stage: Frictions
Will Rawls, Shamel Pitts | TRIBE, and Barak adé Soleil explore Blackness, queerness, movement, and dance in performances at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
The Complicated Legacy of Camilo Egas
The Ecuadorian painter, a leading figure of Latin America’s Indigenismo art movement, has been both praised and scorned for his representation of Indigenous peoples.
Tom Jones Zeroes in on Ho-Chunk Visibility
“I think about the young kids, the teenagers, and I think being able to see yourself represented in art is so powerful,” says the artist.
Haggerty Museum of Art Presents Tomás Saraceno in Dialogue With Dr. Somesh Roy
The artist and researcher will explore soot’s effects on climate change and public health in this online conversation.
Hundreds of Artworks by NYC Teenagers Go on View at the Met
The talented seventh through twelfth-grade students are recipients of the 2023 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
NYC’s Flatiron Building Sells for a Whopping $190M
The sale to outsider bidder Jacob Garlick puts an end to the protracted legal battle between the iconic skyscraper’s five former owners.
McKnight Visual Artist Fellows Discussion Series at the Minneapolis Institute of Art
The series features 2021 Fellows David Bowen, Mara Duvra, Rotem Tamir, Ben Moren, and Dyani White Hawk in conversation with renowned curators and critics.
The Best Memes Roasting the “We ❤️ NYC” Campaign
A graphic designer on Twitter created a hilarious send-up of the universally reviled logo, and the rest is history.
Did You Know These Museums Were Free for New Yorkers?
The “Free Admission” campaign is advocating to make ticket pricing information more transparent to visitors, who may be confused or misled by institutions’ language.