From being a typical museum visitor, to an intern on the “inside,” here are Caroline’s thoughts:

Over the past few years, I have occasionally visited the Contemporary as a casual observer, and as I finish up my first week as an intern, I can’t help but look back and see how my ideas have changed.

Outside, I was struck by the beauty of the building’s minimalism, the outer façade wrapped in a futuristic metal mesh. Within, the interior is a sparse collection of white walls, crisp angles, and strategically-placed skylights. Such simplicity contrasted sharply with the imposing grandeur of the typical conception of a museum, elaborate stone monuments that commemorated the great art of the past. But as its name implies, the Contemporary is all about now. There are is no permanent artwork to gather dust or become overly familiar after years of visits. Exhibits change every few months, and The Front Room features exhibits as fleeting as a single day, true to the constantly shifting, blink-and-you’ll miss-it nature of contemporary art. 

On my first visit, I quickly realized that on the whole I understood contemporary and conceptual art about as much as a third grader could comprehend Moby-Dick. I saw a whale and a crazed captain, but that they remained. Used to “traditional” art, I was content dissecting the minutiae of mythology and obscure symbolism. But confronted with a pile of Mylar Christmas trees, a floating mass of black wires, or a room empty save for a strategically-placed rug, I only saw objects. It was over my head, even literally in some cases.  Only after investigating the artist’s background or intentions could I start to get a feel for what was happening in the space around me. I realized that trying to understand contemporary art requires digging just like the comprehension of a centuries-old painting does.  Instead of searching for outward-referencing symbols, though, conceptual art requires searching for the artist’s own personality, message, or philosophy and then applying it to what you see on the surface of their works. 

Of course I can’t pretend to be any kind of expert, but this is what I have come up with so far. And as I continue to learn about the inner workings of the Contemporary as well as the public exhibitions, I’m willing to keep an open mind for whatever new experiences come my way. What’s that? There’s currently an exhibition that takes place entirely over the phone? And another one that includes a room filled with TVs, each showing a different film by the artist? I’m there.