Art, architecture and nature. These three words make my heart beat faster, and at the Glenstone Museum, just outside Washington, they come together incredibly beautifully in a special, holistic experience.
Stacked concrete blocks as exterior and interior walls, white maple wood floors and large glass windows in sleek, stainless steel frames. And daylight, lots of daylight. The Glenstone goes to great lengths to showcase its extensive collection of modern and contemporary art - one of the finest in the United States - to the best of its ability. Opened in 2006, the private museum sits on the outskirts of Washington, surrounded by rolling meadows and pristine forests. Nothing about this place makes you suspect that a 40-minute drive puts you in the heart of one of America's busiest cities. And that's exactly the point.
"Everything about Glenstone is perfectly thought out, measured out and worked out - you can't find a single blemish"
Upon arrival, you are invited to walk along a winding path to the museum pavilions. You are surrounded by trees, leaves and beautiful vistas, though at first there is not a building in sight. Along the way, you'll encounter Jeff Koons' The Split Rocker, one of the museum's showpieces; a hybrid of art and nature. For at least five minutes you're on your way. A deliberate, subtle way to disconnect yourself from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, to take your mind off things, to slow down, giving your mind all the space it needs to take in new impressions. And it works.
Glenstone is the brainchild of Mitchell Rales and his wife Emily. He made his money as a venture capitalist; she made her mark in the art world. Together, they are the brains behind the museum and its 260-acre estate, which they have been carefully shaping and crafting for a unique experience since its opening. And they are far from finished. They had the original museum pavilion designed by Charles Gwathmey; later, Thomas Phifer & Partners was allowed to add another 50,000 square feet of exhibition space. Their expansion is a whopping five times the size of the original building. At the center of the pavilions is an immense 18,000-square-foot water square adorned with seasonal plants. Again, a combination of art and nature.
Everything about Glenstone is perfectly thought out, measured out and worked out - you can't find a single blemish. That suits the Rales couple's way of collecting. Their passion for art manifests itself in a patient, almost methodically constructed collection of art from the 20th and 21st centuries, with a preference for works that marked a turning point in how we look at art, how we define art. Their collection also includes a large number of outdoor sculptures, including by Charles Ray and Tony Smith.
The daylight museum, the estate and the collection remind me occasionally of Voorlinden. Here too you will find an immense work by Richard Serra, this time it is Four Rounds, made with his signature corten steel. Also for this museum, it is not enough to hang a collection of paintings on the wall or put sculptures on pedestals. The goal is to induce a different state of mind. Glenstone therefore feels like a visit to another world. In this special place, surrounded by the beauty of art, architecture and nature, you lose the sense of time for a moment. This is an experience so insane that you can never forget it.
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