I highly recommend this visit if you like furniture design, art and architecture! Last weekend I attended to a guided visit in 101 Spring Street, Manhattan which offers visitors direct engagement with Donald Judd’s art and vision. Judd’s Foundation is in a five story cast-iron building located downtown in New York City. Designed by Nicholas Whyte and constructed in 1870, it was the first building Judd owned and served as his New York residence and studio.
Judd’s formerly private living and working space provides first-hand experience of Judd’s concept of permanent installation. In one of his essays, he wrote:
“I spent a great deal of time placing the art and a great deal designing the renovation in accordance. Everything from the first was intended to be thoroughly considered and to be permanent.”
Something very interesting is that the works on view remain as installed by Judd. Throughout his writings, Judd identifies this installation as the source of permanent installation as a practice.
Once you are inside the building you are surrounded by artworks, very well furniture design, and museum-quality decorative objects that strike a balance between respect for the historic nature of the landmark cast-iron building and his innovative approaches to architecture and design.
Is difficult to imagine yourself living in such a huge space and in that ‘artistically way’ but that’s the essence of the visit, go thinking with an artist mind! Totally worth it!
