An Afternoon At The ICA

by sarahcoggrave

St Patrick’s Day is huge in Boston, something I didn’t realise or expect when I initially arrived in the city in the early hours of a cold dark morning in March.

The following day I was torn – should I wait in the rain for the celebratory parade, or take advantage of a quiet period to explore the city’s Institute of Contemporary Art?

Much as I’d have liked to have seen costumes and floats (is that what St Patrick’s Day parades in Boston consist of?) the prospect of getting wet and being jostled by crowds led me to seek refuge in the dry, warm company of contemporary art. A decision I by no means regret. The ICA was fantastic.

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As an artist, it was important, during the trip, to experience some of the world’s best contemporary galleries, given that, due to my unfortunate career choice (!) I’m unlikely to be able to afford such venture again in the near future.

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Overlooking the marina, the gallery enthralled me with some fascinating art, including the then exhibition When Stars Begin To Fall: Imagination And The American South.

Admittedly the title did not pique my interest initially, but the work itself did. There was a huge variety in terms of form, subject matter and perhaps, subjectively speaking, quality. Painting, photography, film, performance – all had a home here, brought together by a shared interest in the American South. The highlights for me included some incredible head sculptures, carnivalesque in their playful distortion of features, but also movingly human at the same time. And of course Kara Walker never disappoints – her visceral yet shadowy animation explored some very dark narratives indeed, much to the bewilderment of two young boys who were watching it in front of me.

Another highlight was an immersive sound installation – Sonic Arboretum.

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These strange, sculptural contraptions played with eerie haunting melodies, conversing with themselves and one another – gramaphone-esque trumpeting forms, like flowers growing in a bare white gallery.

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Near the entrance I spotted a beautiful site-specific piece – an epic cascading painting of sorts, drawn liberally across the tall walls; the patterns dancing with reflections and shadows, cast by the nearby windows.

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Outside the bad weather continued, and unsurprisingly, very little was happening in the marina.

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Had I been able to spare the dollars, it might have been nice to sample some local seafood.

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Or visit an independent cafe.

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Instead I bought my tea from Whole Foods – yummy and surprisingly affordable.

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Eaten in the hostel kitchen.

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With some complimentary green tea.

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Another perk of HI hostels in the USA – free tea and coffee throughout the day (although not in San Francisco for some reason – but their coffee, arguably, was by far superior and worth paying for).

Finding myself a cosy chair in a corner for the evening (the Boston hostel was full of cosy nooks and crannys, plus handy plug sockets!) I browsed weather forecasts and places to visit.

Eager to be inspired, I had a brainwave – why not pay a visit to nearby Salem?

See also:

Boston’s Icy Welcome

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum And Other Adventures In Boston

An American Cambridge

America

Europe

Japan