The Art Institute's groundbreaking new Modern Wing certainly knows how to put the grand in grand opening. "Cy Twombly: The Natural World, Selected Works 2000-2007," an exhibition of more than 30 pieces by the influential American artist, will christen the Modern Wing's Abbott Galleries for Special Exhibitions now through Sept. 13. This landmark exhibition will accompany the Modern Wing's permanent collections of modern European painting and sculpture, contemporary art, architecture and design and photography.
The Art Institute will serve as the sole venue for this exhibition, which features recent works concerning the natural world by the 82-year-old artist, many of which have never before been seen in an American museum. The collection includes large-scale multi-panel paintings, wood and plaster sculptures, dry print photographs and works on paper. Twombly, whose work has often centered around themes of place, focused on his surroundings for these pieces, including images of flora, seascapes, landscapes and other site-specific imagery from his travels, both real and imaginary. A series of gallery talks will explore the exhibition in depth, starting June 9 and continuing through Aug. 18.
You can see "Cy Twombly: The Natural World" for free through Friday, May 22, as the Art Institute celebrates the opening of the Modern Wing this week. Admission thereafter is included with museum entrance ($10-$18 per person).
