Dia Beacon Foundation

I was looking forward to go see the Dia Beacon Foundation since it was at the heart of my subject. I went there without reading on the actual building and what it was before the Museum, because I wanted to be free of interpreting it the way I truly saw it and felt it. 

When I entered the doors, the first thing I saw and felt was the kind of "Game" between natural lights and dark which I thought was interesting, the spacious rooms were welcoming and cold at the same time.

Throughout the visit, I had one thing that bothered me, in the rooms where the floor was made out of wood, the wood was so varnished that I could nearly see my self in it. My eyes were attracted to the floor and didn't let me enjoy the visit and the art fully. 

The outside space was really amazing, I like how the colours of the trees and flowers went well with the colours and the textures of the building. I liked a lot the mix of all the different materials (Wood, Metal, concrete etc...). I think it is a shame that the outside nature and the museum was not in complete harmony I had the feeling I could not enjoy both of them at the same time, I wish it could have been complementary. 

The art that was in the museum was sometime absurd to my eyes and didn't seem to fit, but other pieces were truly amazing and I felt they were in the "right" place.

Critique

I chose to look at two pictures of the Fondation  Beyler and analyse what I saw in term of balanced or distortion.

The annotations on the pictures are critiques of what is in my eyes not making the environment completely balanced and to maximize the experience.

Environment

I want to look at two environments and the way both of them could be experienced. The first set of picture shows Cultural Center designed by Renzo Piano in New Caledonia and the second set shows the Jewish Memorial in Berlin, Germany by Peter Eisenman.

The difference between both monuments is clear. I thought it would be interesting to look at what they both portray. 

It is clear to the eye that the Jewish Memorial evokes very strong and hard memories for all the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, the choice of colors and the massive block are direct. 

The Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre was created to honor Jean Marie Tjibaou who was a cultural leader in Caledonia when France was occupying the island. To tell you the truth I had no idea what represented and what the Cultural Center stood for before reading about it, but for the Jewish memorial, even if I didn't know what it stood for, the shapes and the colors gave me this impression of sadness and the feeling of being trap.

Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, New Caledonia

  

Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, New Caledonia

                                                Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Centre, New Caledonia
 

                                                             Jewish Memorial, Berlin, Germany

                                                              Jewish Memorial, Berlin, Germany
 

                                                               Jewish Memorial, Berlin, Germany

Renzo Piano

Here are several pictures of different project Renzo Piano realized over the years. I thought it was interesting to see works from the same architect from around the world and look at the differences and similitude. What touches me the most, is the harmony I felt while visiting some of those places whether it was intended by the architect or not.

 

Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland.

Sketches of the Fondation Beyeler

                                        
                                                        Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, Switzerland

    
                                                            Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, Switzerland

                                                           Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern, Switzerland
 

                                                           Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, Texas

                                                           Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, Texas



 

Comparison

I asked some people to look at Giacometti's sculptures in two different settings

As much as I admire Giacometti's sculptures, I think the Fondation Beyeler in Basel gives the most credit to his work. I had the chance to see his sculptures and paintings in various museums around the world and Basel is the only place where they exposed l"'homme qui marche I" in an environment mixing contemporary architecture and pure nature. 

                                                             Fondation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland

 At lacma, his art is displayed in a line as if they were some quick preview of Giacometti's work . Artificial light being the only one around, his most important  works being displayed closer to the visitor, and others in the background. I personnaly find Alberto's work should be spread in spacious areas. allowing the visitors to see ans analyze them one by one, not all together.

                                                                     LACMA

Alberto Giacometti

 I decided to gather several pictures of different settings where some of Alberto Giacometti's sculptures are exposed. I thought it would be really interesting to compare and see various backgrounds.

                                              Louisiana museum
 

                                            Louisiana museum

                    
                                           Fondation Maeght, Provence, France.

                                                     Fondation Maeght, Provence, France.

Outside opinions

I though it would be interesting to see what other people thought and felt about "Fondation Beyeler", so I gathered some information on the matter.

19 years old student:

I love the fact that this foundation always exposes masterpieces of the art world but the place itself could be considered as a masterpiece. The combination and the connection we find between the different materials (stone, glass, wood, water) that Renzo Piano used to create this architectural beauty makes it even easier for people to appreciate what is exposed in the museum. The high ceiling makes it spacious and allows the Foundation to expose very big pieces. Renzo Piano and the Foundation Beyeler probably worked hard in order to transmit vibes, emotions, and I could even say: bring some inner peace to the visitors by connecting the art of painters, sculptures with perfect light, beautiful woods and water surrounding the building. I shall always remember the day I first saw Giacomettiʼs Walking Man in that big room, with the pond behind, the trees and grass, perfect connection between art and nature. I have often visited museums, all around the world, and I can happily say that Foundation Beyeler is the only one that never disappointed me, or failed to give me a great experience while watching an art exhibition. Architecture, art and nature are in perfect symbioses in those two words: Fondation Beyeler.

I have then asked few people to tell me the three words that would pop up when they thought of this museum

53 years old CEO and art amateur:

Beauty, harmony and peace. 

47 years old photographer:

 Art, balance and nature.

73 years old engineer:

Giacometti, Monet and Basel

21 years old student:

Art, Giacometti and sculptures

          Opinion on the Nympheas by Claude Monet at the Fondation Beyeler 

At the Fondation Beyeler, Monet's Nympheas was truly the most impressive painting I saw. Its dimensions and colors gave the room it was disposed in a unique atmosphere. Making you wish the nature you could see outside the museum's windows was as beautiful as the painting. It is almost as if the area where this artwork lies was made and reserved for Monet's painting, leaving the visitor enough space to admire it as a whole, and in every detail.

This statement was written by a 22 year old student in the Hotel Management School of Lausanne, Switzerland. I thought it was relevant to put it on the blog, because again the connection of nature, art and architecture comes back.