Water Stone, 1987—Installing Isamu Noguchi’s Iconic Sculpture

This short documentary follows the custom installation of Isamu Noguchi’s beloved sculpture Water Stone and offers a special opportunity to witness a living artist interact with staff as their work is prepared for display.

Have you ever been curious to learn how works of art get into the galleries? Behold the trials, frustrations, and unique satisfactions of presenting art to the public. This short documentary follows the custom installation of Isamu Noguchi's beloved sculpture Water Stone (1986) in gallery 229, where it still resides, and offers a special opportunity to witness a living artist interact with staff as their work is prepared for display.

As part of The Met’s 150th anniversary in 2020, each month we will release three to four films from the Museum’s extensive moving-image archive, which comprises over 1,500 films, both made and collected by the Museum, from the 1920s onward. This includes rarely seen artist profiles and documentaries, as well as process films about art-making techniques and behind-the-scenes footage of the Museum.

New films every week: https://www.metmuseum.org/150/from-the-vaults

Learn more about the series here: https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met/2020/from-the-vaults-film-archive

Subscribe for new content from The Met: https://www.youtube.com/user/metmuseum

#FromtheVaults #TheMet #FilmFridays #MetFilmArchive


Video
This impressionistic visual diary is a quirky love letter to the Museum featuring long-time employee and artist Ray Cusie.
February 14, 2020
Video
This lyrical portrait of the Cathedral of Chartres was produced for the 1970 exhibition The Year 1200, a centerpiece of The Met’s centennial celebration.
February 21, 2020
A black and white image of a man wearing an ornate robe
Video
Warps, wefts, heddles, and leashes: Learn how tapestries were made, across time and across cultures, in this mesmerizing short film.
February 28, 2020