This is the show for anyone who has ever judged a record by its sleeve, tracing a century of how music got designed rather than just recorded, from hand-drawn punk flyers to the Castiglioni brothers' 1965 Brionvega radio-phonograph. The New York edition adds this city's own scenes to SFMOMA's original cut and folds in Devon Turnbull's handbuilt listening room downstairs. This is its closing weekend.
What to expect
Roughly 300 objects laid out across graphic design and product design sections, so you move from walls of posters and album covers into cases of radios, stereos and portable players. The listening room installation on the first floor is part of the same ticket and is where most people end up lingering.
Good to know
- Take the 4, 5 or 6 to 86th Street and walk two blocks to the Carnegie Mansion
- This is a closing weekend, so expect the fullest rooms of the entire run
- The listening room downstairs is included, so leave time for it before you head up
- The mansion's garden is a good decompression stop between floors
- Much of the show is small graphic work, which rewards standing close
- Reserve entry in advance rather than relying on walk-up on a final weekend
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Common questions
How many objects are in Art of Noise?
More than 300, drawn largely from the collections of Cooper Hewitt and SFMOMA.
Is the listening room part of this exhibition?
Yes. Devon Turnbull's HiFi Pursuit Listening Room Dream No. 3 sits on the first floor and is part of Art of Noise.
Was this show at another museum first?
Yes. SFMOMA organized it, and Cooper Hewitt adapted the presentation to the history of the New York music scene.
More this weekend
