The Institute
By Tyler Hewitt
3 Aug 2008
The Art Institute of Chicago is constructing a new addition to the museum, designed by architect Renzo Piano. Models of this addition are on display in the Art Institute, and these are photos taken of the models.
Rather than focus on the architectural elements of the new building, I concentrated on the figures placed throughout the models to give a sense of scale. Because the building in question is an art museum, many of the figures were posed in ways that suggested people contemplating works of art. Taken out of context, however, these figures seem to convey a sense of urban disassociation. People appear to watch each other from a distance, or engage in interactions that seem emotionally flat, as if mirroring their 2D construction.
