Edward Tufte, “Magritte’s Smile,” aluminum casting, 2009 (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
258 Main St., Ridgefield, CT
Tuesday-Sunday 12 noon – 5:00 pm
Sculpture garden tours with Edward Tufte: Saturday, April 3, 2:00 & 3:15
Admission: $7 (Tuesdays free)
203-438-4519
www.aldrichart.org
It’s promising to be a beautiful weekend, so it’s a great opportunity to make a little detour north and see the wonderful Aldrich Contemporary Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut. The indoor part of Edward Tufte’s “Seeing Around” exhibition closed January 17, but his show in the outdoor sculpture garden is still up through April 17, although deinstallation will begin April 5. On April 3, Tufte will be on hand to lead tours at 2:00 and 3:15, discussing such intriguing pieces as “Skewed Machine,” “Porta the Dog,” and “Magritte’s Smile.” The group exhibition “Paying a Visit to Mary” (through June 6) examines the perception and interpretation of reality through works by Dexter Sinister, Melissa Gordon, William Oorebeek, Guido van der Werve, and others. “Tom Molloy” (through June 13) is the first museum survey of the work of Irish artist Tom Molloy, who repurposes existing objects and images to make social and political commentary. “Swarm” consists of folded dollar bills placed into the wall (in an unintentional flaglike pattern that echoes the nearby “Flag”). “Globe” is a small, crushed-up map that dangles from the ceiling, encouraging visitors to “blow the world away,” as Molloy told us at the opening. And the blood dripping from “Sweep” is indeed the artist’s own. Also on view is Jo Yarrington’s site-specific color installation “Ocular Visions,” Jeanne C. Finley + John Muse’s multimedia “Sleeping Under Stars, Living Under Satellites,” and Adad Hannah’s video project “Masterpieces in Motion.” The Aldrich is a charming, very manageable museum in a quaint part of town, making for a terrific little excursion from the city.