Song 1 is not a masterpiece, but it's better than a lot of what you'll find at the multiplex. more ›

Frequent visitors to the Hirshhorn will recognize much of the new exhibition Fragments of Time and Space. But there are small surprises and large returns to be found in this space, if you have the time. more ›

It appears as if the Hirshhorn Museum's large, temporary, inflatable special event "bubble" needs a cash infusion to become a reality. more ›

What do a notorious Philadelphia Mafioso and a student of Joseph Beuys at the Dusseldorf Art Academy have in common? A name – and careers that were colorful in markedly different ways. Peter Heisterkamp, besotted by American culture, took the name of boxing manager/racketeer Frank "Blinky" Palermo as his own and forged a brief but influential career that was but a blip in the life of his namesake. Blinky Palermo, the man behind Jake LaMotta and Sonny Liston, died in 2006 at the ripe old age of 91. Blinky Palermo, the artist, died in 1977 at the age of 34. Who says boxing is more dangerous than art? more ›

Even though the proposed bubble at the Hirshhorn Museum hasn't yet inflated yet (latest plans for inflation are October 2012) it has won a progressive architecture award from the Architect, the magazine of the American Institute of Architects. The controversial bubble, designed by New York firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro, earned praise from the magazine for its playful and vibrant nature. more ›

It's been nearly two months since the Smithsonian removed David Wojnarowicz's "A Fire in My Belly," and the criticism towards Smithsonian Secretary G. Wayne Clough’s decision has not died down. In fact, one of the Smithsonian's own museums, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden released a statement on their website decrying the precedent that Clough set. more ›

"Ruin porn" is the trend -- fed in part by the recession -- in which decaying, abandoned buildings have become a popular photographic subject, not just for architectural studies, but for fashion shoots. The latest installation of the Hirshhorn's Directions series focuses on the work of two artists whose work "explores the ruins of the 20th century." But the work of Mario Garcia Torres and Cyprien Gaillard is not just ruin porn: their art traffics not only in decaying structures but in obsolescent art forms as well. more ›

Brighton-based artists Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt, known together as Semiconductor, have collaborated on what they call "digital noise and computer anarchy" since 1979. Their video Magnetic Movie was screened in the Hirshhorn's Black Box video gallery in 2008 and is now part of the permanent collection. This year, they return to the Hirshhorn as recipients of the Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship (SARF) and will screen three of their short films as part of Hirshhorn After Hours on Friday, October 29. DCist spoke with Semiconductor about their work. more ›

The large, temporary, inflatable bubble which the Hirshhorn Museum is planning on erecting for special events has taken another step forward. Speaking at a conference yesterday, Richard Koshalek, the Museum's director, said that the bubble will be pumped up inside the Museum's central plaza by October 2012, according to a report on the American Society of Landscape Architect blog The Dirt. more ›

There were a few toddlers in attendance when I saw Flooded McDonald's, the new Black Box video installation at the Hirshhorn, and the kids' concern at the drowning swirl of McDonaldlandania made me wonder if the experience would scar them for life. Would they be able to chow down on a Happy Meal without thinking of drowning? Would they develop a healthy mistrust of fast food? Might they just switch to Burger King? more ›

Written by DCist contributor Danielle O'Steen
It's hard not to be a little obsessed with Yves Klein, especially after walking through the retrospective of his work at the Hirshhorn Museum. more ›

The Hirshhorn Museum recently installed pieces by Guido van der Werve and Hiroshi Sugimoto from their permanent collection in adjacent galleries on the third floor. These pieces offer a monochromatic counterpoint to the color field work currently seen in the museum's other exhibits, ColorForms and Yves Klein: With the Void, Full Powers. The Hirshhorn suggests that the installations by van der Werve and Sugimoto "quietly create synergy, harmoniously exploring concepts of time, space and solitude, while highlighting the formal and conceptual interplay between cinema and photography." The interplay between the pieces clearly works. What is less clear is is whether the interplay between cinema and photography works for or against the art. more ›

Plans to erect a temporary inflatable event space through the middle of the Hirshhorn Museum are moving forward, according to a news release from the Smithsonian Institution. The Hirshhorn has received "supportive comments" from the National Capital Planning Commission for the seasonal bubble, which would be installed twice a year for special events, and the Commission of Fine Arts approved the concept in February. more ›

Visiting art museums, once a mostly passive and individual experience, has become much more interactive lately, thanks to the advent of social media. At places like the Phillips Collection and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Twitter, Facebook, iTunes and YouTube are making it possible for museum-goers to engage in conversation with one another and learn more about artists and their work. Check below for the more interesting feeds to follow and informative podcasts to download so you can get a little closer to the great works of art D.C.’s museums have to offer. more ›

The New York Times reported today that the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is working on a plan for a temporary, inflatable meeting space. The whimsical, 145-foot-tall bubble structure would enclose the courtyard of the Hirshhorn and billow up and out to house a lounge, auditorium and stage. more ›

As an artist looked on as a leading figure in 20th century art, Louise Bourgeois has enjoyed an incredible 70 year career. From her early influences of Surrealism to her Feminist works, Bourgeois uses memory and emotion to create thought provoking motifs and dramatic sculpture. At the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Bourgeois' lengthy and successful career is highlighted in a major retrospective of her work. more ›

Tyler Green at Modern Art Notes has the scoop that the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has finally named a new director. Former director Olga Viso left the institution almost a year and a half ago, leaving chief curator Kerry Brougher at the helm as acting director in the interim. Richard Koshalek will now officially take the position, and Green notes new the Smithsonian trend in the "hiring of late-career executives," with the 67-year old Koshalek's resume with 20 years at MOCA in Los Angeles, working his way up to director and, most recently, as president of the Art Center College of Design. No word on Koshalek's start date.
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DCist's guide to lectures and discussions in the D.C. area more ›

If you head out anywhere for art this weekend, make it the Hirshhorn. As you enter you'll see the new installation of Louise Bourgeois' Crouching Spider, which the artist describes as "a defense against evil." (Bourgeois, who turns 97 on Christmas Day, has a retrospective coming to the Hirshhorn in February.) Inside, starting next Monday, see the exhibit in the Black Box new media space, featuring video work by Ori Gersht. more ›

"Make it epic!" Dan Deacon's roadie was yelling in my ear as he held up a stack of stage monitors, working to keep the speakers upright despite the mass of bodies pummeling into them. He wanted me to take a shot of Deacon's so-called Trippy Green Skull — an object that often stands in for the man himself at his absurdly egalitarian shows, due to the fact that it's just about the only thing than can be seen from a distance of more than a few feet — from behind. That way, he reasoned, you'd be able to see the crowd spazzing out from the glowing skull's perspective. There was only one problem: I was standing just a few inches from the skull and had only packed a 50mm lens: not exactly ideal conditions for taking a wide-angle shot. While I may have failed terribly at 'making it epic,' Deacon did not, fighting against all odds to turn in a set on Friday night that was almost impossibly energetic, given the circumstances. more ›

If you go to Hirshhorn After Hours tonight, be sure to check out the Amy Sillman exhibit while you’re there. If tonight’s not in the cards, Third Person Singular runs through July 6th, so you’ve got some time. more ›

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is showing pieces they’ve recently added to their collection with Recent Acquisitions, a show that underscores the direction the museum is moving in terms of collecting, and draws attention to the work of the Contemporary Acquisitions Council (CAC). The CAC helped bring Radiant, a stand-out work by New York-based artist Alyson Shotz, to the museum. more ›

Though it’s a slow time for D.C. museums right now, with many exhibits seeing their final days and new ones opening in February, it’s still possible to see some new art, and art that’s here to stay — the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has filled its lower galleries with Currents: Recent Acquisitions, pieces that have been acquired by the museum since 2004. more ›