Frick Collection reopens after $220M renovation: ‘An incredible museum'

Yahoo

19-04-2025

NEW YORK (PIX11) – To some, it's the best museum in New York City.
The Frick Collection just reopened after a $220 million, five year renovation.
Among the highlights are the porcelain flowers created by a Ukrainian sculptor named Vladimir Kanevsky
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Inside one of the grandest mansions on Fifth Avenue, alongside Rembrandts, Turners, and Titians, 19 installations resemble gorgeous flower arrangements but are crafted from porcelain and metal by Vladimir Kanevsky.
The Ukrainian-born sculptor lovingly and painstakingly created these lilacs, artichokes, a lemon tree, blueberries, pomegranates, and many more to complement the masterpieces in each room.
'It means everything, it's like landing on Mars,' Kanevsky, the sculptor, told PIX11 News. 'And I never in my dreams thought I would have such a large show in such an incredible museum, which was my favorite before the reconstruction, and now it's my relative.'
The director of The Frick Collection found the Porcelain Garden created by Kanevsky breathtaking.
'We cannot use real flowers for conservation reasons in the galleries, but we found Vladimir Kanevsky who makes these incredibly beautiful and lifelike flowers made of porcelain and metal,' Axel Ruger, the director of The Frick Collection, told PIX11 News. 'And it now replicate that atmosphere at the Frick when it first opened its doors to the public.'
For 90 years, the second floor of the Frick was closed to the public. They were the private rooms where the family lived, but now these ten rooms are open for viewing.
And in the last room, where Kanevsky worked with the curators to add his porcelain flowers, he made an unusual yet inspired choice.
'Let's put black poppies here,' Kanevsky told PIX11 News. 'They said he died here. They meant Mr. Frick,' he added.
At this packed reopening weekend, Kanevsky was applauded by museumgoers who had so many questions.
One from Szilard Kiss, a museum goer: 'Where did you get inspiration to combine metal and porcelain in flowers?'
Kanevsky was happy to answer: 'It's an old European tradition. They started porcelain flowers in 18th century. I'm based on that tradition, but I do completely different things,' he added.
Another enthusiastic museum goer, Karen Krenis added: 'We've been going from room to room and ignoring the masters because this is so incredible,' she said.
And there's only one request from the sculptor.
'Don't smell it. Don't touch it because they are fragile,' Kanevsky said.
Vladimir Kanevsky's porcelain garden will be at The Frick Collection until October 6.
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