The Museum of Modern Art presents an exhibition of some 65 architectural images produced since 1963 many on view for the first time by architects, photographers, sculptors, and other artists working in various mediums. In each case the artist whether photographer, sculptor, or architect has chosen architecture to express his or her vision. Because architectural drawings typically pre-date the buildings they represent, they are often visionary, depicting idealized landscapes and structures. In most cases, photographers of architecture add new layers of scenery to existing structures. The juxtaposition of images by architects such as Rem Koolhaas and Zaha Hadid with works by photographers such as Andreas Gursky and Thomas Struth creates a rich interplay of various points of view.
Shared affinities complement the divergent points of view.
Rather than picturesque rambling structures, all of the buildings presented here are dense cubic volumes, designs that convey a sense of admiration for the house as a timeless and fundamental need. Generous support is provided by Agnes Gund and Daniel Shapiro in memory of Louise Reinhardt Smith. The Museum gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the Contemporary Exhibition Fund of The Museum of Modern Art, established with gifts from Lily Auchincloss, Agnes Gund and Daniel Shapiro, and Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder. Additional funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder, Agnes Gund and Daniel Shapiro, Mrs. Melville Wakeman Hall, Sarah-Ann and Werner H. Kramarsky, Anna Marie and Robert F. Shapiro, Jerry I. Speyer and Katherine G. Farley, Joann and Gifford Phillips, NEC Technologies, Inc., and by The Contemporary Arts Council and The Junior Associates of The Museum of Modern Art. Education programs accompanying MoMA2000 are made possible by BNP Paribas.