New Installations in the Metropolitan Museum

Abstract

A visitor coming from an ideal museum where the installation was perfect would not say “what a handsome installation!” but rather “what handsome things! It was so interesting that although I was in the museum three hours I am not at all tired!” The purpose of intelligent and sympathetic installation is to make the material easy to see, to understand, and to enjoy. It should exist only for the sake of the objects installed, and not be an end in itself. Installation is to a work of art much as performance is to a piece of music.