The Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA) has released an online archive of over 3,500 of the museum’s past exhibitions from its founding in 1929 to today. Free and available to the public, the database contains photographs, press releases, checklists, catalogues and lists of featured artists.
The archive contains 660 entries tagged under “architecture” and includes some of architectural history’s greatest exhibitions: the Modern Architecture International Exhibition by Philip Johnson and Henry-Russell Hitchcock in 1932; Herbert Bayer’s exhibition Bauhaus 1919-1928 in 1938; Thresholds/O.M.A. at MoMA: Rem Koolhaas and the Place of Public Architecture in 1994; and, most recently, A Japanese Constellation: Toyo Ito, SANAA, and Beyond, which wrapped up its run this past July.
The release is the product of a massive undertaking by museum staff to digitize past archives. Many of the pages contain links to related publications or preserved websites dedicated to individual exhibitions. A easy-to-use menu bar allows users to search directly for keywords or refine their search based on exhibition type and year.
The database will be continuously updated as new exhibitions are held, meaning architecture lovers will have the opportunity to check out next year’s Frank Lloyd Wright retrospective, even if they are unable to make a trip to MoMA in person.
Check out the online archive for yourself, here.
