Hispanic Society of America and the Cathedral of Saint John The Divine

On February 7, we had opportunity to visit the Hispanic Society of America. We saw paintings by great masters such as Velasquez, Goya and El Greco and large format paintings by Joaquin Sorolla documenting Spanish life at the beginning of the last century. Cristina Domenech, who works in the Education Department gave us a tour of the main galleries providing us with historical facts related to not only to the paintings but also the museum itself. The collection of ceramic was stunning.

We also had opportunity to visit the library, which specializes in rare books and old manuscripts. Ms. Pintado, assistant librarian prepared a “show and tell” guide and introduced us with amazing samples from its collections. For example we saw an original world map from the XVI century and samples of manuscripts with original drawings such as “Una visión del México del siglo de las luces: la codificación de Joaquín Antonio de Basarás : Origen, costumbres y estado presente de mexicanos y Filipinos” Joaquín Antonio de Basarás, 1763.

After the Hispanic society, we went to the Cathedral of Saint John The Divine to see “Phoenix”, the art installation by Chinese artist, Xu Bing. The installation “Phoenix “ is composed of two birds, a male called Feng and a female called Huang. Feng and Huang, together weighing 12 tons and measuring 90 and 100 feet long, respectively. This work was made of wasting materials that Xu Bing collected from construction sites around Beijing. It is a work that reflects on environmental issues today, workers’ conditions not only in China but also around the world.With a guided tour, we saw the birds from different points of views and climbed up to the cathedral upper level to see the installation from above as well the arquitecture of the place. Here at the cathedral, the work is transformed into something sacred. In spite of its weight and the nature of the materials, the birds appear as if they are flying weightless in the space. After seeing great work of art, we sat down and shared an early dinner. We were all very hungry. Thanks everyone for joining this field trip, and sharing the photos as well.