By Michelle Elligott

 

René d'Harnoncourt, the director of The Museum of Modern Art from 1949 to 1968, revolutionized the way art exhibitions are conceived and mounted. His genius for installation design and display, documented in elaborate preparatory drawings he created at each step of his process, guided a methodology that has informed how exhibitions are organized to this day. In René d'Harnoncourt and the Art of Installation, Michelle Elligott examines d'Harnoncourt's life and work, delving deep into the Museum's archives to demonstrate his mastery of exhibition presentation, from his first curatorial effort—an exploration of Mexico' indigenous arts, which circulated throughout the United States in the early 1930s—to The Sculpture of Picasso, his final, most elaborate installation at MoMA, in 1967. Through exhibition photographs and d'Harnoncourt's exquisite, rarely seen sketches, this book reveals a unique approach to exhibitions and the fascinating personality behind it. 176 pp.; 204 illus.