zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
The Museum Of Modern Art Still Doesn't Really Get Cars
The Museum Of Modern Art Still Doesn't Really Get Cars-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:17

Image for article titled The Museum Of Modern Art Still Doesn't Really Get Cars

New York City’s esteemed Museum of Modern Art’s newest exhibit has a Volkswagen Type 1, a Cisitalia, an E-Type, a Citroën DS, a 1967 911, a Willys Jeep, a Smart Fortwo, an original Fiat 500, and one of Alain Prost’s F1 cars. Eurocentric, much, MoMA?

Now, I should preface this by saying that MoMA is the only cultural institution in New York City I pay a yearly fee to help support, because I like MoMA and I like modern art and I like the member previews that get you away from the hordes of tourists and because rich people (not me) seem happy to support this great city’s cultural institutions, many of which, unlike MoMA, are nominally free. Still, when I caught wind of this new exhibit — , which opened Sunday — I knew from the get-go that it would be bad.

This is not because the cars are bad — MoMA’s Cisitalia 202 GT is among the most beautiful cars I’ve ever seen in person; the Type 1 is the highest or second-highest made car ever depending on how you count; and the E-Type is, well, the E-Type — it’s more because the cars are boring, the equivalent of MoMA putting Starry Night, a Picasso, and a Jackson Pollock in a room and calling it Art Mania, and pretending like they’ve done something new.

Because the truth is that MoMA barely tried; this collection is classic rock, and I like “Stairway To Heaven” as much as the next person but I’ve already heard it ten million times. A 1967 911? I’m surprised MoMA doesn’t have a C3 and a DeLorean as well.

Well, they might, except for a focus on European cars that dates to MoMA’s first car show, in 1951, a show which “reflected the organizers’ belief that ‘in Europe, where a car is a luxury rather than a necessity, design still has some of the qualities of a fine art.’” First of all: I’m not even sure that was true then, as say what you will about tailfins but they were, at the time, a genuine attempt to look good. Also, in 1951, Asian automakers weren’t the force that they are today, but, judging by this exhibit, it’s unclear if, today, MoMA curators are aware that anything has changed.

I mean, why not an LFA? Why not a Ford GT40? Why not a ? Why not a Cord 812? Why not an Eldorado? Why not a Miata? Why not a ... Model X? Or why not none of those and instead an entire thing about the good kei cars? I’m not sure why the Smart Fortwo is in MoMA’s collection, but I don’t think MoMA knows either.

The Cisitalia 202 GT can stay, though. What a car! Please feel free to sell the rest, MoMA. You know how to reach me if you need any help in picking replacements, if membership renewal emails are any indication. I mean, I enjoyed the exhibit for what it was when I went on Saturday — if you’re in the New York area it isn’t a terrible way to spend 30 minutes — but let’s actually try next time, MoMA, like I know you are capable of. Because this is on the verge of being insulting. Thanks!

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
The Hyundai Staria Is The Cutesy Camper You Can’t Have
The Hyundai Staria Is The Cutesy Camper You Can’t Have
Surprise surprise, there’s a . Raph asked me recently where this love of cutesy campers came from, and I’m not really sure. I remember having a toy one as a kid, and once saw a jet-powered VW bus drag race. So I guess that could have led us to...
Jul 7, 2025
Tesla in
Tesla in "Summon" Mode Rams $2 Million Private Jet and Just Keeps Crashing
If there’s one thing Tesla likes to boast about, it’s all that incredible technology packed into its cars. From to the company’s , Teslas seem to have everything but the kitchen sink. But, the more stuff you pack into a car, the more stuff there is to go wrong....
Jul 7, 2025
Traffic Jams: Judas Priest — 'Love Bites'
Traffic Jams: Judas Priest — 'Love Bites'
All I’ve wanted to read lately is books about the cultural impact of horror movies and heavy metal, and this week, that’s been Satanic Panic: Pop-Culture Paranoia in the 1980s by Kier-La Janisse and Paul Corupe. It’s a glossy, photo-heavy collection of essays about everything from RPGs and new technology...
Jul 7, 2025
Texas Tuner Shop Boycotted After Owner Posts Video Rolling Coal On A Cyclist
Texas Tuner Shop Boycotted After Owner Posts Video Rolling Coal On A Cyclist
People are really just assholes, aren’t they? You always hope humanity will turn it around, but we never really do. Anyway, today’s asshole is this guy. He drives a diesel Ford Super Duty and decided to l past a cyclist on a Texas road while filming a video of...
Jul 7, 2025
Lost Nissan Skylines, A $335,000 Lawsuit, An Empty Warehouse: Has A Well-Known JDM Importer Skipped Town?
Lost Nissan Skylines, A $335,000 Lawsuit, An Empty Warehouse: Has A Well-Known JDM Importer Skipped Town?
In a scene full of shady Japanese car importers, Florida-based Rivsu Imports was supposed to be one of the good ones. No illegal cars. All legit. And with JDM imports on the rise, they seemed like the perfect shop to invest in. But that was before its owners up and...
Jul 7, 2025
We Have Reached the Inflection Point Where Chinese Sedans Look Better Than German Ones
We Have Reached the Inflection Point Where Chinese Sedans Look Better Than German Ones
Chinese carmakers have a reputation for knocking off vehicle designs from around the world. It’s no secret. It’s done out in the open and . From the BYD S8 that was a to the Dongfeng M18 that’s the brazenness of these lookalikes is often shocking. The number of Chinese...
Jul 7, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved