A sponsored story from SFMOMA
“Why is this urinal art?” asks comedian Kumail Nanjiani. “I don’t get it.”
From my very own smartphone, I’m listening to Silicon Valley costars Martin Starr and Kumail Nanjiani walk through SFMOMA, asking peanut-gallery questions to their tour guide. At this juncture, they’ve stopped to gaze at Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain, the urinal inscribed with “R. Mutt” that was once deemed the “most influential artwork of the 20th century.”
Their guide laughs at Nanjiani’s question, then responds: “The sentiment behind it is ‘Don’t be so limited about what beauty is.’” In short, a urinal can be beautiful too.
This is all part of SFMOMA’s modern idea: take some of San Francisco’s best and brightest — including athletes, comedians and performers — then walk them through MOMA and record their commentary, which keeps apace with you as you walk. They call them “Immersive Walks,” and you can download their app yourself and listen for free, or rent a device when you visit.
This kind of guide experience — informal, frank conversations with colorful personalities — is a lot more uproarious than the average gallery walkabout. In fact, the conversations tend much more toward the kinds of silly things you or I might ask. Wonder what Giants announcer Renel Brooks-Moon and roller-derby player Suzy Hotrod have to say about the gallery? There’s an Immersive Walk with them too, as well as with 99% Invisible producer Avery Trufelman and seven more beyond that.
This is all part of the remodeled SFMOMA’s plan to make their galleries more accessible and diverse. “Our aim all along has been to create a range of digital experiences that reflect not only the Bay Area’s vital role in digital culture but also the eclectic mix of artistic, social and political viewpoints that make this region so distinctive,” notes Chad Coerver, chief content officer at SFMOMA.
Eclectic is about right. It’s also quite futuristic. When you first boot up the app, a Her-like voice greets you. “I can follow you through the museum,” she says. “While you’re wandering through the galleries, I can help you learn more about the artwork you’re looking at. And if you’re with friends, you can all hear the same thing at the same time.”
The greatest benefit of a podcast guide that knows where you are in the museum is that it precludes you from looking at a screen or fiddling with an interface. You just focus on the art. “I am the love child of people who know art and people who know tech,” the voice explains.
After some exposition, the tour guide convinces Kumail and Martin of the artistic merits of Duchamp’s Fountain. “OK, I’m totally on this guy’s side now,” says Nanjiani. “I’ve really fully turned. I’ve e-mailed him — duchamp underscore urinal at gmail dot com. Haven’t heard back yet, but I think he’s busy trying to get a bidet into an art show.”
After a three-year expansion, the new San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is now open, with more inspiring art in the most extraordinary spaces. Buy tickets at sfmoma.org.
