MASS MoCA

If you're ever in the Berkshires and are into contemporary art (and even if you're not), you have to visit MASS MoCA up in North Adams, Massachusetts. We did, based on Jamie and Jodi's hearty recommendation (and packing free passes -- thanks again guys) and we we're both quite blown away. I run hot and cold on contemporary (and performance) art myself, so I went with somewhat low expectations. I sometimes find a lot of contemporary art to be overly heady, indulgent and somewhat predictable, but I found much of the artwork at MASS MoCA to be refreshing and thought-provoking, sometimes delightful and playful and often poignant. MASS MoCA takes up 13 acres of abandoned factories in downtown North Adams, which affords art installations of a size that wouldn't work in most urban museums. Our greatest regret was that we had to head out after too few hours to make it up to a camping spot in Vermont. If you come, give yourself at least a full day and, preferably, two.

Here are a few pictures. Enjoy.

In posting these pictures, I'm realizing that I'm only providing the most superficial aspects of much of the artwork at MASS MoCA. Many of the pieces were multi-media installations, with film, sound and lighting aspects and, most important, interaction.

I'll close with one of my favorite performance art pieces that was taking place outside the window of one of the galleries. And so I'll close with the question: Is this art or life?