From Controversy to Acceptance

We see it again and again in the art world. A new idea or innovation is introduced that is seen as scandalous and an outrage to the general public. People gather together in protest to howl "that is NOT art!" in the hopes of having the "offending" idea or object rejected by the world.

This is also common in architectural design and maybe no more so than in the design of art museums. I had this subject presented to me twice last night. While driving home and listening to NPR I heard a story in regard to the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Centre Pompidou, the Paris museum of modern art, taking place today. When the Pompidou was first designed it was widely criticized for its unconventional "inside-out" construction where all of the brightly colored pipes and ducts were placed on the exterior of the building to allow a wider and cleaner interior space for the exhibition of the art. Now thirty years later the Pompidou is an iconic image and well-loved landmark of Parisian culture.

When I arrived home I found the February issue of Art in America in my mailbox. One of the articles in the magazine is about the unmistakably unique Libeskind-designed Denver Art Museum building that opened in October 2006. The building is referred to as "quirky" and it is noted that it has been "critically panned". I couldn't help but think of the similar start the Centre Pompidou received thirty years ago. I wonder how long it will be before the citizens of Denver couldn't imagine their city without the unconventional design of the Denver Art Museum?