Modern art may need a facelift to get some popular appeal, but the Hirshhorn has a pretty good idea of how to pack people in to see some of their groundbreaking works. But the Hirshhorn After Hours, their semiannual party, was an event less about the art and more about the people who art seeks to affect.
The event combined the underground and post-modern art the Corcoran is known for with a party atmosphere featuring entertainment and a bar. The result was a cross between a night out and an afternoon in — the quiet pondering of the museum itself, and the revelers outside talking over loud music.
The Hirshhorn opened its hallways until late in the night, allowing visitors to see the many exhibits they had booked for the show. Curators gave talks on the Colorforms exhibit, a survey on the use of color in post-war artwork. The collection was culled from the entire Hirshhorn, featuring sculpture, paintings and other visual pieces in all media. It served as a good introduction to modern art, considering how visually grabbing the pieces were and the simple significance attached to color.
A lecture was also featured on the work of Josef Albers, the German artist whose Bauhaus-influenced work was a defining force in abstract art. Alber’s concentric squares and use of shapes can be seen in the work of famous figures like Mark Rothko, whose works were on display in the lower level.
Other featured works included Directions by John Gerrard, which focuses on the desolate outreaches of America. The videos are composed digitally like real-time landscapes, where if observers wait long enough, night will turn into day and vice versa.
Patrons strolled though the museum quietly while the real party went on outside in the pavilion. Around the fountain at the center of the open space was a DJ stand and dance floor. Renowned New York artist Bill Shannon occupied the dance floor with his dance troupe The Step Fenz. Shannon’s unique routine — sliding around the floor with the use of skateboards and specialized crutches — provided a different take on street dance, and visitors crammed around the stage to see him perform. Shannon also had a sculpture on display in the pavilion made up of eight video screens projecting videos of various dances and stock video. The installation was on loan just for the night, but it didn’t draw nearly as many observers as the dance performance itself.
DJ “The Wizard Brian Coxx” provided the music, keeping a constant stream of house music for the dancers to perform to. These dances were filmed and then edited in real time by visual artist VJ Glych. His work, which consisted of footage of the dancing, was run through several filters and projected behind the performers.
Though there was little dancing to be seen, guests milled around the open space and mingled. The age group skewed to the late 20s and early 30s crowd, but there was enough variety in the attendees to keep the interactions fresh. Tables were set around a central fountain where groups of men and women shouted at each other to be overheard by the beat of the DJ.
The Hirshhorn managed to put together an event that brought together the high tastes of modern art with the more base pleasures of a particularly hip party. The museum puts these events on multiple times a year, so if you’re looking for a unique night out in the coming months, keep an eye out for their next show.
You can reach this staff writer at mrichardson@theeagleonline.com.
