As with any comprehensive survey, "The Ungovernables" is only as good as the work represented. To that end, there is a mixture of off-site works, sculpture, painting, and found objects. Given the zeal with which much contemporary art has embraced the theoretical as an essential component in both design and appreciation, the show works more effectively as an experience than it does when one sifts through photos of the works off-site. One could argue that works of substance should be able to stand on their own, not unlike other art forms like music and literature, yet those standards would inevitably render much current art inadequate.
Such is the challenge of the viewer who chooses to breeze by the wall literature at the New Museum and instead chooses to take the bulk of the found and assembled objects at face value. Call me a classicist, but while some of the environments are intriguing, it's challenging not to think about the logistics of moving them from museum to private collector's home, not to mention the matter of maintenance. Much of the so-called sculpture in this exhibit is precisely of this dubious nature and seems designed to not withstand the sort of scrutiny that being built to last demands. But then, perhaps that is a theoretical imperative of the Triennial.
When reviewing photos from the exhibit, I realized how many works I had forgotten shortly after my visit. I suspect many visitors will experience the same sensation. After numerous visits to the New Museum over the past few years, I have concluded that, given their dedication to contemporary strictures, it is questionable whether an exhibit will be able to match the majesty and singular achievement of this wonderful example of inspired contemporary architecture.
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