Travels in the 2nd half

The Hirshhorn Museum   A short trip to Washington DC gave me and The Amazin’ Mrs. D the opportunity to visit the Hirshhorn Museum . We wanted to see en exhibit of work by an excellent sculptor.   The Hirshhorn is one of the Smithsonian Institute’s smaller museums, and it is dedicated to contemporary art. While much of contemporary art doesn’t move me, this exhibit did. Simone Leigh (b. 1967) is an American artist who draws on her African roots and creates pieces focused on “Black female subjectivity.” Many of her works integrate female forms with historical and household objects, creating figures that are larger than life and bring together the history of Black women in slavery and service with the objects that they used. (Through March 3, 2024) Cupboard Cupboard (detail) Breezebox Breezebox (detail) Sharifa Herm and Vessel Herm Vessel Sentinal Sharifa Jug Sphinx   The Hirshhorn is a circular building, with two galleries (inner ring and outer ring) on the second and thi...

Svayambhu by Anish Kapoor   When guide books write about museums in Florence, the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace get the lion’s share of attention. With their collections and history, that is no surprise. However, I prefer smaller museums, ones I can visit in one to two hours, and then get on with seeing the city. On my last trip to Florence I was able to enjoy special exhibitions at three of the city’s smaller spaces. Strozzi Palace Strozzi Palace By MenkinAlRire vis Wikimedia Commons   The Palazzo Strozzi was built by Filippo Strozzi the elder, a banker and rival to the Medici family. Construction started in 1489 and finished in 1538. Filippo died before its completion, but that didn’t stop Cosimo Medici from confiscating the palace, and not returning it for thirty years. It remained in the Strozzi family until 1937, when it was acquired by the Instituto Nazionale Delle Assicurazioni, a public entity that specialized in life insurance. Today the palazzo is home to the I...