SLOW LOOKING ITINERARY
Slow down on a contemplative walk through our expansive galleries
Did you know that the average time spent viewing a work of art is less than 30 seconds? What can you see, let alone comprehend, in that amount of time? How can we learn to slow down so we can enjoy fuller, more vivid experiences of art and life? Using this slow looking itinerary, challenge yourself to take an unhurried look at MASS MoCA’s exhibitions so as to be more alert to the messages contained in the art and your own perspective.
Start your slow looking experience by putting your phone away. Plan on going back through the museum after this tour to take photos. If you are visiting with friends or family, we encourage you to do this tour in silence and then meet afterwards to discuss.
STOP 1
LIKE MAGIC
Grace Clark’s He’s in the stars now Building 4, floor 2
Begin your slow looking exploration in Like Magic and find the small room where Grace Clark’s works are located.
Once you enter the room, settle into the museum experience by taking a few deep breaths. As you do so, observe any tensions in your body and release them.
WALK around the room, engage with the space, and notice the works on display. Take a moment to look in the roped-off room. What might it be used for?
STAND in front of the piece He’s in the stars now.
RELAX your eyes and concentration. Simply look at the piece for at least two minutes. Then ask yourself what has caught your eye and why? What do you notice?
NOTICE your reflection in the piece. What do you think this work is about? What do you see that makes you think that?
A WALL DRAWING RETROSPECTIVE
Sol LeWitt
Building 7
Choose any floor of Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective to explore; then choose one wall drawing to look at closely. See how long you can simply look in silence without immediately trying to make meaning out of the work. Start with paying attention to one section of the drawing or one small detail; then expand outward to take in the whole.
Often LeWitt’s pieces contain a pattern of some kind, such as a repetition of colors or shapes. Try to decipher if there is a pattern and what the pattern is. Also consider how this work was made. How do you think the materials were applied, and why?
COSMIC LATTE
Spencer Finch
Building 8, floor 2
This space is dedicated to Spencer Finch’s Cosmic Latte installation, which brings the starry night sky inside the museum.
STAND at the entrance to the room and look at the big picture. Consider the whole installation and how it fills the space.
WALK through the space slowly, looking around to view the piece as well as the space it is housed in. What do you see? How do your body and mind feel in this space?
STOP & STAND under part of the work. Look closely at the light fixtures closest to you for at least one minute.
NOTICE the differences between each light fixture and the light bulbs. Consider their sizes, shapes, configurations, and colors.
CONTINUE walking through the space until you get to the other side, then turn around to look at the installation from another angle. What colors do you think make up the universe? Be sure to read the wall text at the end to find out.
DISSOLVE
James Turrell Building 6, floor 2
In his works James Turrell intends for the viewer to build their awareness of vision and perception. Challenge yourself to sit or stand silently and without distractions in front of Dissolve, a 10-minute mesmerizing sequence of colors and shapes. If your mind starts to wander, take note of it, and gently lead yourself back to your awareness of the installation.
After a few minutes, sharpen your focus to better understand what you are seeing. When, and how, did you first notice that the colors are changing? Is it a subtle transition or a stark one? Do the colors stay separate as they change, or merge into one another?
