NEW YORK—On the rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the clouds are modular, transparent and reflective, and you can walk through them if you have a timed ticket. Tomás Saraceno‘s “Cloud City” was installed last week and the structure of 16 “interconnected multipolygonal modules” is a fascinating formation. With mirrored surfaces reflecting the dense city skyline and the Central Park treescape, the installation has attracted lines of museum patrons eager to climb through it, navigating stairs, walkways and platforms. Saraceno considers the architectural and engineering wonder to be a “vehicle” designed to capture and stimulate the imagination of visitors. According to the exhibit copy, the Argentine artist says “Cloud City” is “ready to transport visitors beyond our usual social, political and geographical states of mind.”
“Cloud City” is on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the rooftop, from May 15 to Nov. 4, 2012.
All photos by Arts Observer
“Cloud City,” 2012 (steel, acrylic and polyester) by Tomás Saraceno. Watch a video of “Cloud City” being installed on the roof of the Met.
Visitors can climb through the installation, navigating stairs, walkways and platforms.
The installation is composed of 16 modules.
With “Cloud City” in the background museum visitors wait in line at the rooftop bar.
The framed views of the city through openings in the structure are spectacular.
Tomás Saraceno used a crane to install “Cloud City.” Each of the modules was hoisted from the street up to the roof.
