Mission Accomplished...the late Charles Gwathmey of Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, houses...
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T he recently completed headquar- ters for the United States Mission to the United Nations, in New York, is a paean to American diplomacy and democracy—as well as American art. The 26-story building, designed by the late Charles Gwathmey of Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Archi tects, houses over 180 works by the country’s most renowned artists—Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Ed Ruscha, and James Rosenquist, to name a few—many of whom offered their art for free. The artists’ generosity is a testament to the nonprofit organization in charge of placing artworks in American em - bassies around the world, the Founda - tion for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE), whose art advisory committee is currently chaired by Robert Storr, dean of the Yale School of Art. Founded in 1986 by four wives of for- mer ambassadors, the foundation has collected works by more than 200 American artists, dispersed to over 140 countries. By the time FAPE chair Jo Carole Lauder approached Storr to get advice about art commissions for embassies, some ten years ago, the organization had been allocating art to far-flung consulates for over a decade. “There are some circumstances where one may not want to work for the gov- ernment,” says Storr. “But it was clear that FAPE was a very mixed group in terms of political orientation—there was no political propaganda at stake—and that it was directly about what was interesting to me, which is the art.” The collection for the U.S. Mission presented a particular challenge for Storr, who had to wade through a pool of gifts from patrons and board mem- bers. Un sat i sfied with what was at hand, he reached out to several artists to ask for additional works. Lynda Benglis offered her favorite artwork, D’Arrest (2009), an orange, squiggly surfaced half-globe made of polyure- thane, which had been installed above her bed. “The whole energy of FAPE is one of sharing,” Benglis says, “and more and more people are beginning to real- ize that art is a tool for communicating and for politics. Art does give out ener- gy.” Her piece hangs in the 70-foot-high rotunda on the 22nd floor, below a dome that has been covered in rich blue with thin red stripes, conceived by Sol LeWitt, and across from Ron Gorchov’s site-specific Totem, a 19-foot obelisk of conjoined canvases painted in the colors of UN members’ flags. When choosing where to place the artworks, Storr and his colleagues at FAPE had to work closely with the architects and the State Department. The building, says Robert Siegel, the lead architect on the proj- ect after the passing of his partner, “has a higher level of criteria than a federal court- house, in terms of protection— particularly so because it is situated right in the middle of a city, sitting almost literally on a curb on First Avenue” and East 45th Street. The security crite- ria meant that the structure could have no exterior cladding that could act as shrapnel in the event of an explosion. The firm settled on a “monolithic” concrete tower. Siegel is particularly proud of the lobby area, where passersby can see the black angular shapes of a Calder sculp- ture that sharply contrast with the curved architectural space. “You are dealing with a government building so there are a lot of restric- tions,” Storr says of the installation process. But, he insists, “what the State Department did not do is tell us what the art should be.” ■ Nana Asfour is an arts-and-culture writer based in New York. 50 January 2012 ARTnews ©PAUL WARCHOL PHOTOGRAPHY/FAPE COLLECTION AT THE U.S. MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK N E WS Mission Accomplished Curators, architects, and the State Department collaborated to showcase American art at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations BY NANA ASFOUR The rotunda on the 22nd floor of the new United States Mission to the United Nations features works by Ron Gorchov, Sol LeWitt, and Lynda Benglis (left to right). ▲
Transcript of Mission Accomplished...the late Charles Gwathmey of Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, houses...
T he recently completed headquar-ters for the United States Missionto the United Nations, in New
York, is a paean to American diplomacyand democracy—as well as Americanart. The 26-story building, designed bythe late Charles Gwathmey of Gwathmey
Siegel & Associates Archi tects, housesover 180 works by the country’s mostrenowned artists—Robert Rauschenberg,Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, EdRuscha, and James Rosenquist, to namea few—many of whom offered their artfor free.The artists’ generosity is a testament
to the nonprofit organization in chargeof placing artworks in American em -bassies around the world, the Founda -tion for Art and Preservation inEmbassies (FAPE), whose art advisorycommittee is currently chaired by RobertStorr, dean of the Yale School of Art.
Founded in 1986 by four wives of for-mer ambassadors, the foundation hascollected works by more than 200American artists, dispersed to over 140countries. By the time FAPE chair JoCarole Lauder approached Storr to getadvice about art commissions for
embassies, some ten years ago, theorganization had been allocating art tofar-flung consulates for over a decade.“There are some circumstances whereone may not want to work for the gov-ernment,” says Storr. “But it was clearthat FAPE was a very mixed group interms of political orientation—there wasno political propaganda at stake—andthat it was directly about what wasinteresting to me, which is the art.”The collection for the U.S. Mission
presented a particular challenge forStorr, who had to wade through a poolof gifts from patrons and board mem-
bers. Un sat isfied with what was athand, he reached out to several artiststo ask for additional works. LyndaBenglis offered her favorite artwork,D’Arrest (2009), an orange, squigglysurfaced half-globe made of polyure -thane, which had been installed aboveher bed. “The whole energy of FAPE isone of sharing,” Benglis says, “and moreand more people are beginning to real-ize that art is a tool for communicatingand for politics. Art does give out ener-gy.” Her piece hangs in the 70-foot-highrotunda on the 22nd floor, below adome that has been covered in rich bluewith thin red stripes, conceived by SolLeWitt, and across from Ron Gorchov’ssite-specific Totem, a 19-foot obelisk of
conjoined canvases painted inthe colors of UN members’flags.When choosing where to
place the artworks, Storr andhis colleagues at FAPE had towork closely with the architectsand the State Department. Thebuilding, says Robert Siegel,the lead architect on the proj-ect after the passing of hispartner, “has a higher level ofcriteria than a federal court-house, in terms of protection—particularly so because it issituated right in the middle of acity, sitting almost literally on acurb on First Avenue” and East45th Street. The security crite-ria meant that the structurecould have no exterior claddingthat could act as shrapnel inthe event of an explosion. The
firm settled on a “monolithic” concretetower. Siegel is particularly proud of thelobby area, where passersby can see theblack angular shapes of a Calder sculp-ture that sharply contrast with thecurved architectural space.“You are dealing with a government
building so there are a lot of restric-tions,” Storr says of the installationprocess. But, he insists, “what the StateDepartment did not do is tell us whatthe art should be.” �
Nana Asfour is an arts-and-culture writerbased in New York.
50 January 2012 ARTnews
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Mission AccomplishedCurators, architects, and the State Department
collaborated to showcase American art at the U.S.
Mission to the United Nations BY NANA ASFOUR
The rotunda on the 22nd floor of the new United States Mission to the United Nationsfeatures works by Ron Gorchov, Sol LeWitt, and Lynda Benglis (left to right).�
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