I had no idea this place existed and I am so glad I discovered it. the curator's tour is well worth planning for a specific time of day, although I did struggle overheating, standing, and walking on the concrete floor; bring a hand fan, wear comfortable shoes, and don't get two vaccinations on your way there (that one was on me)!
the museum is fully accessible, throughout. a guided tour took about an hour, and after I took another walk through and spent another hour and a half admiring the collection. the curator graciously answered question after question, providing insights you would miss otherwise. there are also a few pieces which take a bit more dedication to enjoy: a couple of films, one an hour long, a short cartoon, an auditory experience, and a (passively) interactive work.
for this visit, The Eye was clearly the showstopper. meant to invoke the moment man first split atom, the mirrored shards radiate energy from one angle while displaying clear architectural framing from an other. the viewer finds themselves reflected in shattered vestiges of the human they were when they walked into this room. there are stairs going both up and down, reminiscent of MC Escher, complete with rabbit holes tunneling through to the other side. from a distance, the woodwork supports can be sighted peaking from intentional defects made in the mirror, and an abundance of cracks thoughtfully decorates panels throughout. there is also, very subtlety, the form of two pyramids stacked upon each other, the top pointed down, almost to remind one of an hour glass. as the piece fluidly moves with the observer, reflections of the room dancing in and out of line of sight, it is hard to say how much of the sand in this hourglass has fallen.
there were so many lovely and moving pieces, which is incredible because they said the exhibit I was seeing was smaller than usual. it was just a feast for my brain, inspired me to create something of my own, and already I can't wait to go back. and it's all FREE! make sure to register before so you're not fumbling at the check-in desk, but there is no charge, not even for tours. since it's a little out of the way, there's very little traffic and you can get the gallery to yourself (and a watchful guard!).
highly, highly recommend checking this one out!
