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Odili Donald Odita: Songs from Life
In Odili Donald Odita鈥檚 new large-scale commission in MoMA鈥檚 lobby, bright colors and abstract patterns create a cascading kaleidoscope. And for the first time in the artist鈥檚 unfolding process, music serves as the primary source of inspiration. 鈥淢usic inspires me to think through problems in my paintings,鈥� Odita has said.
Songs from Life was painted over the course of six weeks, with visitors able to see the site-specific work emerging across the walls and columns. Executed with flat acrylic latex paint, the floor-to-ceiling installation provides an immersive experience, with Odita describing its colors as expressions of freedom and change. Each painted section is anchored by a selection of songs that expand on the artist鈥檚 conception of MoMA鈥檚 lobby as a gathering space for people from different walks of life. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a sort of energy that is communal because of the way music can affect the body,鈥� Odita has said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how I want to make my paintings work, too.鈥�
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In Odili Donald Odita鈥檚 new large-scale commission in MoMA鈥檚 lobby, bright colors and abstract patterns create a cascading kaleidoscope. And for the first time in the artist鈥檚 unfolding process, music serves as the primary source of inspiration. 鈥淢usic inspires me to think through problems in my paintings,鈥� Odita has said.
Songs from Life was painted over the course of six weeks, with visitors able to see the site-specific work emerging across the walls and columns. Executed with flat acrylic latex paint, the floor-to-ceiling installation provides an immersive experience, with Odita describing its colors as expressions of freedom and change. Each painted section is anchored by a selection of songs that expand on the artist鈥檚 conception of MoMA鈥檚 lobby as a gathering space for people from different walks of life. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a sort of energy that is communal because of the way music can affect the body,鈥� Odita has said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how I want to make my paintings work, too.鈥�
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The Museum of Modern Art announces Odili Donald Odita: Songs from Life, a new site-specific commission in the museum鈥檚 main lobby on view through 2025.
The听Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) presents Odili Donald Odita: Songs from Life, a new site-specific commission in the Museum鈥檚 main lobby, which opened on the 8th of April and will be on view through 2025.
A visitor enters the new ground floor of the Modern, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and after handbag check is again briefly stalled by the guards.
Blending rhythm, colour, and cultural memory, the artist reimagined MoMA鈥檚 lobby as a democratic space of emotion and encounter.
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