Anyone who grew up watching MTV back when they showed music videos, will remember just how much the music video used to mean. They were pieces of mind-blowing art, that in many cases defined a cultural moment in time. Opening today at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens is Spectacle: The Music Video, an exhibition that traces the importance of this incredible art form.
The exhibition includes work from the original pioneers like Beastie Boys, David Bowie and Madonna to artists today that continue to push artistic boundaries like Lady Gaga and Grizzly Bear. From music videos you’ve seen a million times to newer pieces you will be thrilled to discover, there’s actual costumes, props and photographs, many of which will bring a million music memories flooding back.
Incredible music videos still exist, but now we rely on YouTube and email from hooked in friends to discover the latest and greatest. This exhibition highlights the importance of the music video in creative innovation and its role as a launchpad for some of today’s most talented film directors.
Spectacle: The Music Video. Museum of the Moving Image. 36-01 35 Avenue, Astoria, New York. April 3 – June 16th, 2013. Tel: 718 777 6800
Music Videos From Top:
OK Go, “This Too Shall Pass” (2010)
David Bowie, “The Stars” (2013)
NASA, “Spacious Thoughts” (2009)
Grizzly Bear, “Ready, Able” (2009)
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