I’ve poured over the materials sent by the Kimbell Art Museum on its new expansion, designed, as you probably know by now, by Renzo Piano. The accolades have come in already, but — truth to tell — from the drawings in the press packet, I can’t tell what this wing will really look like. Or whether, and how, it will really pay homage to the Louis Kahn masterpiece.
One good thing: As visitors come up from the parking garage, they will face Kahn’s intended front entrance, whereas now they come in what was to be the back door.
On the other hand, now they come up from underground into the new building, and seem to be directed to go there.
Which brings me to a key question: what will this do to the permanent collection?
The Kimbell is erecting the Piano building “to provide extra galleries to be used primarily for exhibitions, allowing the Kahn building to be devoted to the permanent collection.” Says Director Eric Lee in the press release: “The Kimbell has never been able to present a major exhibition and a full display of the permanent collection at the same time.”
In theory, that’s great — no more moving art from the Kimbell’s stellar collection into storage for what is sometimes lesser art.
But in practice, judging by what happens at many museums, visitors come to see new buildings and special exhibitions. They skip the permanent collection, for a variety of reasons, including “it’s always there…”
So why do museums so frequently put special shows into the new buildings? The Kimbell’s collection is so good that maybe the Kahn building won’t be empty, as so many permanent collection galleries are (and as many museum directors, privately, admit).
Why doesn’t someone do something counter-intuitive and plan a new building for the permanent collection?
Just asking.
Photo Credit: Courtesy Kimbell Art Museum