Weekend Discoveries

A little naughty. A bit risqué. Milking gullible tourists. All things I expected of a visit to the Museum of Sex. Well I'd say I was on the money.  Still, there were some interesting exhibits, and surprisingly, quite a collection of artworks;including a Picasso. Art has penetrated even the Museum of Sex. It's just everywhere; walking through the flower district we came across a random art gallery squeezed between flower shops.

After a hunt for an elusive good coffee in New York, we spent the last hours of the day at the New York City Library. A beautiful building worthy of a visit, we were surprised to find an exhibition containing artworks from the Fluxus group, Hirst and Duchamp. Completely unexpected in a visit to the library. I noted that the library actively purchases art for its collection. I can't see this happening in libraries back home.

New York City Library

Fluxus artworks

Marcel Duchamp's Rotoreliefs

The next day involved a visit to The Cloisters. It was nice to get out of the city and see some nature and sky. The collection of antiquities was astounding.
I was struck by how much money must have been spent to assemble the collection, and how important culture is in New York. Stark contrast to Brisbane where historical buildings are regularly bulldozed.