The first thing that struck me about the building was its illogical layout. Unlike its European peers that are laid out from ancient to modern from the ground upwards with regionally themed wings, the maze of corridors and permeable courtyards don’t seem to have any order. But if you’re the kind of explorer that likes to be surprised by modern photography next to romanesque columns, this is the museum for you.
Their lone Babylonian Mushhushu Dragon and painted Egyptian wall carvings remind me of the middle-eastern loot in Berlin museums. One side of the first floor is dedicated to a round-the-south tour of African, Islamic, and East Asian art. For a more extensive experience on Islamic art, visit the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto.
I don’t know why I thought it was a good idea to look at Korean art in motor city, but upstairs is where the art of Detroit came alive with a temporary exhibition on car design. It’s hard to imagine how large the land yachts of the 50s and 60s were until you see a finned sedan in person.
Their French impressionism gallery is missing an explanation on pointillism to accompany a couple of pieces they describe as “painting with thousands of small dots.” I didn’t know American impressionism was a thing, but I would’ve liked to see more essential American landscape and early 20th century interpretations of man and machine instead. Detroit is, after all, the home of American industrial genius.
