Newly Opened MoMA Features Betye Saar's Artwork

The MoMA has just reopened after months of renovation.  The changes provide more free flowing space, outside light and a fresh approach to curating.  The artworks are grouped not by epoch but by interconnections.  The curation is minimal.  The guest is induced to drawn their own ideas & impressions.  There are floor to ceiling windows in a galley showcase a large, immersive installation by David Tudor and Composers.  The windows draw the architecture outside in creating a heightened awareness.  The MoMA designated more open spaces and the large staircases with lucite rail guards.  Artworks are installed from walls & ceilings outside galleries utilizing more space and making the art more accessible and the viewer more astute.  The gargantuas space on the 2nd floor houses a dazzling exhibit of Haegue Yang's "Handles".  From everywhere you look or walk you become part of this intoxicating groupings of sculptures, glimmering geometrics and interactive light and sound.  The luminescent chandler in the lobby is a welcoming beacon for visitors.
The featured exhibition is Betye Saar "The Legends of Black Girl's Window."  Saar (b. Amer. 1924) is a master printmaking.  The recent acquisitions of her remarkable skills for printing and her work in the medium of assemblage are on display.  Some of the prints are of serene, colorful landscapes and glimpses into the working mind.  Her self-portrait made towards the end of her pregnancy portrays a contemplative respite.  The print of her 3 daughters indicates complexities of sisterly relationship and their own individualities.  Included with her prints are several of etchings which demonstrate the technical skills of her intricate craft.  Several repeating motifs in many works include symbols of mysticism and spirituality.  Saar's work also addresses racism, stereotypical degradation of blacks and heinous images of lynchings.  There were two works that spoke most to me.  One is her iconic wooden window frame "Black Girl's Window" 1969.  The head and hands of the black woman encased is haunting.  The only visible feature on her face are eyes that shift quietly but omnipotently and mystical symbols in red & yellow on her palms that implore you to touch (but don't) - and stop taking selfies in front of it.  This is a very moving work makes the viewer feel both the oppressor and the oppressed.  The other window frame that captivated me is an assemblage of faded photos and mementos spilling over onto the frame that offer a yearning for family and nostalgia.