How a museum's vast collection shapes contemporary artistic practice
What happens when modern masters revisit the past? In this video for The Met's 27th annual Art & Artists Gala, artists Alex Katz and Wangechi Mutimute explore how works from the museum's extraordinary collection continue to inspire their own creative processes.
The film brings together Alex Katz, an American artist born in Brooklyn in 1927, and Wangechi Mutu, a Kenyan-American artist born in Nairobi in 1972. Together, they examine the dialogue between contemporary art and historical treasures.
The collection's breadth provides the backdrop for their reflections, ranging from the New Kingdom's Dynasty 19 limestone figures of Yuny and Renenutet (ca. 1294–1279 BCE) to the intricate 17th-century Dutch floral oil paintings by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder. By navigating these diverse eras and mediums, the artists demonstrate how the museum serves as a living muse for modern practice.
Source: Museum as Muse with Alex Katz and Wangechi Mutu
