Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128128
The Art of the Motorcycle, Guggenheim Las Vegas motorcyclist himself, sums it up best by saying, "The motorcycle is the perfect metaphor for the 20th century ... Invented at the beginning of the industrial age, its evolution tracks the main currents of modernity. The object and its history represent the themes of technology, engineering, innovation, design, mobility, speed, rebellion, desire, freedom, love, sex, and death ... For much of society, the motorcycle remains a forbidden indulgence, and an object of fascination' fantasy and danger." There are over 120 motorcycles on display in the exhibition, starting with the French-made Michaux-Perreaux Steam Veloc'ipede, built between 1868 and 1871, and then progressing through to the 2001 Montesa/Honda 315RY trials bike. The selections are sure to strike a cord in any enthusiast - there is something there for everyone - you may even find favorites among the collection that you had never heard of or seen before. The display is broken down into eight time periods, from "Inventing the Motorcycle" to "RetroRevolutionary", with some periods spanning over 50 years, and some as short as six. Critics may ask if The Art of the Motorcycle in fact represents art, as they did upon the opening of the original exhibit at the Solomon R. Guggenheim museum in New York City in 1998. It is, however, interesting to note that the exhjbit was the STORY AND PHOTOS BY BLAKE CONNER I1l aris, Vienna, Florence, New York, Barcelona, Las Vegas. Las Vegas? Although Las Vegas isn't on the map yet in terms of the arts or as a cultural center, it just took its first baby steps toward being taken seriously, with the two new Guggenheim museums at the Venetian hotel. For the last 10 years, "Sin City" has been slowly adapting its image - attempting to break away from the cheesy lounge image of the past few decades - and evolve the city into a culturally legitimate travel destination. The two new Guggenheim museums may possibly be the catalyst the city needs to bring more-cultured tourists to Las Vegas. The Art of the Motorcycle, sponsored by BMW, is the first exhibit housed in the stunning new 63,700 square-foot main exhibition space at the Venetian Hotel (the Guggenheim Hermitage is the other). The museum was designed by renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, and is one of the most stunning exhibition spaces anywhere in the world. The sheer magnitude of the structure is the first thing that grabs your attention, but architect Frank Gehry's depiction of The Art of the Motorcycle installation is simply amazing. r 24 OCTOBER 31. 2001 • cue There is so much to look at that it's possible to get lost in the museum for the better part of a day, and that's before any attention is paid to the bikes I The ancillary elements in the exhibit are just as impressive as the motorcycles. The large-scale photography and memorabiHa, not to mention the colossal polished stainlesssteel structures - as backdrops to the motorcycles - demand an equal amount of attention. On the multimedia wall at one end of the main level, images from movies, commercials, and anything motorcycle related, loop constantly, while at the other end, a giant glass box covered in frosted film has images of motorcycles constantly dancing across its surfaces. It's a lot to take in, but completely captivating. It would be impossible to be a motorcycle enthusiast and not be impressed by The Art of the Motorcycle exhibit. Not only do the motorcycles in the exhibit form a timeline of technology and design, but they have also recorded the progress of 20thcentury innovation and culture. Perhaps the most important aspect of the exhibit, beyond the design of the bikes, is the cultural impact that the motorcycle represents in our society. Thomas Krens, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenhejm Foundation, curator of the exhibit, and an avid •• n __ • In the foreground Is en Amerk:8n-d_lgned 1896 s1eam-powerecl G_ve - with the MY Augusta F4 In the blIcllground, 98 veers Mper'llt8 the two.