Well, the art that I experienced in the Museum of Natural History had nothing to do with paintings or galleries. Instead, I was fascinated by the realism that the different forms of natural life (plants, animals, and humans) portrayed. When I first set feet into the Milstein Hall of Ocean, it felt like I was being transported to the very depths of the oceans. Even though I was walking normally, as opposed to swimming, I was still able to associate with the ocean life. Because the room was dark and the background of most exhibitions presented vivacious colors of blue, I really thought that the artificially-made animals and the entire aquatic ecosystem came to life. I even tried to touch the aquatic species with my hands; however, I would come to realize that I was in a museum, after feeling the cold and glassy windows in the tip of my nose.

This particular hall of the museum struck a peculiar chord in me. Being rejected from the aquatic life a couple of times by the glassy windows of exhibitions and feeling my nose numb, I still did not give up. I just stood closely at every exhibition and examine meticulously at every single detail of the landscape, and said to myself, “Wow! How did these museum people made everything look so realistic. These guys must be damn nice!” After carefully inspecting most of the exhibitions, I realized that the backgrounds in them were painted on the walls, while the animals and plants were presented three-dimensionally. Above all, I loved the texture of the artificial water; it was not simply transparent but it also presented bubbles, thickness, and assorted colors, just like the real ocean water. Only wished I could have smelled the water.

When I finished peeking around at the Milstein Hall of Ocean, I headed towards the Hall of Human Origins. Over there, the intricate details of those artificially-made humans astounded me. The people who made them did not miss a single detail, not even a muscle or eyebrow. So, I wondered how they accomplished such difficult task. As a result, I ended up watching a video in which scientists were doing a thorough research in order to come up with the exact details for the physical features of the humans from that given historical period. After watching the film, I finally understood that it was in fact a very slow, lengthy and painstaking process to make such extensive figure. Only when my mom called me did I know that I had literally spent half of my day in the museum, since I went from the lowest to the highest floor, strolling from one exhibition to another, until I pretty much covered everything that there was to see.

I thought that I was going to be bored to death by setting feet into the Museum of Natural History. Now, I am just glad that I did not follow my intuition. Gambling on the possibility that I might not get anything from this museum visit was the best choice I could have made, since I ended up winning anyway. I guess that I should not follow my instincts when going to museums; otherwise I will never enjoy my future visits as much as I did on this occasion.

When I stepped into the MoMA, I truthfully had no clue whatsoever of what I was going to uncover. I knew that I was going to see Picasso and Monet, but I never expected Serra. However, his magnum opus quickly caught my attention when I first saw it. I did not know what it was until I read the brief description in the wall. After realizing that the entire structure, which was four meters high, was made of iron, I just wonder, “Wow, how could he have possibly made such a big piece of hefty work.” The sculpture was funny-looking – it was a monumental labyrinth made from a series of big walls and curves. While walking through it, I almost got dizzy; and because of his size, I also felt belittled, just like a midget. Since this was my first exhibition, I then went for more modern art. Nonetheless, in the end, I found nothing as spectacular as Serra’s work.

I had problems getting into the museum – signs directed me from one entrance to another; it was more like uncovering a labyrinth. Once inside, I was both puzzled and disturbed. The ‘museum’ was the size of a small room. And that room only had a piece of modern art. After realizing this, I really thought I was crazy. I even thought that I had gone to the wrong place. However, after verifying this with both my friend and the security guard (the only employee there), I knew I was not out of my mind.

Because the entrance to the room was closed, I was only able to appreciate the piece of art behind two locked doors that were made of glass. After staring at the piece of art for a long while, I still did not comprehend anything. The only thing I saw before me was a bunch of weeds and grass spread around the room. I said to myself, “Is this even art? To me, this seems more like an abandoned place. Perhaps grass has grown over time.”

My friend and I were looking at each other, and I even scratched my head, to find a reasonable answer to this enigma. A while passed, and we made no progress. My problem was later solved when my friend gave me an article that explained what the piece of art was. I felt like a “retard” because there was a big stack of them paper somewhere near me, and I did not see it.

By reading the article, I found out that sculptor Tony Matelli made the piece of art. I also learned that the bunch of grass and weeds were made of bronze. If I had not read this important piece of information, I would have never understood that this was a real piece of art. Later on, I felt bad because the artist had deceived me so easily. As a result, I started to inspect the piece of work meticulously. In the end, I was able to appreciate it, but wondered, “How did the artist made the plants look so realistic when they were indeed made of bronze?”

The meaning of Art has been evolving, constantly, in my mind, especially after I have joined the IDC class. As a result, my appetite for the Arts, especially modern art, is growing hastily. Even though I appreciated Tony Matelli’s work of art, I would not recommend anyone to go to the Whitney Museum of American Art at Altria. It is not worthwhile to spend four dollars on a Metrocard ride to see one tiny gallery. Just remember to think twice before you go to a free museum.