Critics Dissect Björk's MoMA Retrospective as Disjointed and Underwhelming
From March 8 to June 7, 2015, the Museum of Modern Art in New York showcased an exhibition titled 'Björk,' curated by Klaus Biesenbach. Critics Stephanie Buhmann and Todd Simmons expressed that the exhibition fell short in effectively presenting Björk's audio-visual creativity. Notable installations featured pipe organs, a Tesla coil, and instruments from her Biophilia project. The exhibition's title, 'Songlines,' alludes to Aboriginal navigation through song. A highlight was the 'Black Lake' video from her 2015 album Vulnicura, designed by Marco Perry. Critics remarked that personal artifacts resembled props, and the audio guide's storytelling was erratic. Although Björk turned down a MoMA proposal in 2000, she accepted one in 2012. The exhibition drew comparisons to those of David Bowie and Alexander McQueen.
Key facts
- The exhibition 'Björk' ran at MoMA from March 8 to June 7, 2015.
- Curator Klaus Biesenbach organized the retrospective.
- Critics Stephanie Buhmann and Todd Simmons published a negative review on artcritical.com.
- The show included a commissioned video for 'Black Lake' with sound design by Marco Perry.
- Björk's 2015 album Vulnicura was released concurrently with the exhibition.
- The exhibition featured instruments from her Biophilia project, MoMA's first collected app.
- A fictional narrative by an Icelandic writer was part of the audio experience.
- Björk had declined a MoMA proposal in 2000 before agreeing in 2012.
Entities
Artists
- Björk
- Klaus Biesenbach
- Stephanie Buhmann
- Todd Simmons
- Marco Perry
- Spike Jonze
- Michel Gondry
- Alexander McQueen
- Matthew Barney
- the Haxan Cloak
- Arca
- David Bowie
- Christian Marclay
Institutions
- Museum of Modern Art
- artcritical.com
- Victoria & Albert Museum
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Carnegie Hall
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Iceland
- London
- United Kingdom
- Venezuela
- Australia