No Cell Phones In The Museum!

The good old audio tour. Personally, I avoid the hand held audio guide whenever I go to a museum because I like to interpret the work for myself. It's only when a piece intrigues me or leaves me completely baffled that I try to find out more about it. That's exactly what happened when I went to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago this past week to see the Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art Show. How I learned more about the work is what makes this museum so exciting. Looking around next to the labels, my friend discovered a telephone number. I noticed him dialing the number on his cell phone and then I did the same. Shortly after we started, a gallery guard came over and said "no cell phones in the museum" and we looked at her, laughed, and pointed to the sign. She then apologized as we activated the museum's audio guide. It's interesting to see how the museum uses technology. What was once forbidden is now acceptable (as long as you don't actually hold a conversation, of course). What made this audio guide even more inviting, was that you listen to a recording of the actual artist explain their work. I found hearing the thought process directly from the artists to be very exciting, which made me dial up just about every number.

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago | Calder

A Good Investment?

An alleged work by British graffiti artist known as Banksy is up for auction on ebay. The opening bid is $75,000, yet nobody has posted a bid. Why? Well, his work can be very difficult to authenticate. After reading about the work and what is going on with the entire piece, I feel that it is a risky investment. If it turns out to be an original, providing the owner has enough information to support its authenticity, one could make some money. Check out more about the story of the Packard Plant graffiti and maybe you will want to place a bid on ebay.

Free Press | Ebay