Museum of the City of New York | One hundred years of pop culture

The city that never sleeps never ceases to inspire artists, musicians, directors, painters and poets of all kinds, with its energy, its noise or its jagged skyline. An exhibition as unique as it is diverse is taking stock these days, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Museum of the City of New York.

From the post of Sesame Street to Carry Bradshaw’s tutu through the notes of Jimmy Hendrix or Martin Scorsese (director of the legendary Taxi Driver), without forgetting some well-felt extracts from the series Seinfeld… There is no shortage of artifacts that have marked the collective imagination and built a certain idea that we have of New York and its New Yorkers in this lesser-known museum of the city, yet dedicated to its celebration for a century. The exhibition This Is New York definitely worth the detour.

“People from all over the world have a certain connection to New York,” explains the exhibition’s curator, Sarah Henry, in an interview. This is due to all these representations of the city through the arts and popular culture. Our exhibition explores all these representations and this spirit of New York, which we carry within each of us. »

Until now, we were unaware of its existence, and yet. Located a tad north of the Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art), facing Central Park, the institution, founded in 1923 by historian Henry Collins Brown, offers a great and informative history of the city, from yesterday to today today. To discover on a rainy day, a heatwave or for a well-deserved walking break. And God knows if you can walk in this city!

If the permanent exhibition certainly deserves a break (notably this documentary on the history of New York, from 1609 to the present day), Timescapes)it is above all the temporary exhibition on the city through the arts in general, and popular culture in particular, which steals the show.

For good reason: on an entire floor, it is New York as a muse that we are presented with here. We tried the impossible, to identify the various sources of inspiration by theme, to find the “tempo” of the city, its music or its essential destinations, through the eyes of Edward Hopper here, from New Yorker there. A section also allows you to read extracts from novels or watch parts of series. Note that the series Friends conspicuous by its absence. “We couldn’t include everything,” explains Sarah Henry. On the other hand, we have included the series Living Singlewhich among other things inspired Friends, and in which the representation of New York was arguably much more authentic. » Understand: with a more diverse distribution.

Another section, this time dedicated to New York songs, allows visitors to choose a neighborhood by literally walking on a map projected on the ground. We sometimes hear Paul Simon (in Queens), Charlie Bennett (Staten Island) or Jennifer Lopez (Bronx).

The highlight of the exhibition, however, is elsewhere, in this large immersive room, called You Are Herewhere 16 screens are lined up, simultaneously projecting extracts from some 400 films, independent or blockbusters, documentaries or experimental works.

New York then appears again from all its angles, through scenes of daily life, from the subway to work via its yellow taxis or its tiny apartments, up to different explorations of the apocalypse in the city, of the drama science fiction and musical comedy. Think King Kong, Ghostbustersbut also Sid & Nancywhy not Crocodile Dundee Or When Harry meets Sallywithout forgetting Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Fame, Hate, Saturday Night Fever, do you want some, here it is! The experience proves to be as dizzying as it is hypnotizing, certainly seductive. And that’s intentional, obviously.

“We wanted to inspire visitors to see the city differently, with new eyes and new ears,” explains the commissioner, who does not hide the monastic work carried out by her team. “This exhibition is an opportunity to see the city from a new angle. ” Mission accomplished.

This Is New York is on display at the Museum of the City of New York until July 21.

The immersive room You Are Here will be open to the public for an extended, indefinite period.

Visit the museum website (in English)