Considering what fits inside, could this be New York City’s most intriguing museum? This is Mmuseumm. It stands as a testament to the power of curation and the allure of the everyday object.
Mmuseumm is nestled in Tribeca. It is around the corner from the old Mudd Club on White Street in Courtland Alley. This alley is one of Manhattan’s only back alleys. You will find Mmuseumm in a former freight elevator. It is the smallest museum in New York.
Alex Kalman and the Safdie brothers founded Mmuseumm. They curate its content and locations by seasons. The museum has called two locations home on Cortlandt Alley. This alley is sometimes known as Mmuseumm Alley.
Mmuseumm 1 opened in 2012. It was in a former elevator shaft. Mmuseumm 2 opened in 2015. It is three doors down from the original location.
The museum totals 36 square feet. It is accessible 24 hours a day via peepholes in its door.
Mmuseumm is dedicated to the curation and exhibition of contemporary artifacts. It illustrates the modern world through object journalism.
Inside Mmuseumm you will discover rotating exhibits of items collected from around the world. Different curators and collectors create them. The exhibits are installed in the 80-square-foot space. You can view them 24/7 from windows in the elevator’s steel doors. The museum is generally open from 12 to 6 on weekends. Only two or three visitors can fit inside at a time along with the attendant.
One collection is Natural Styrofoam Rocks. Artist Maia Ruth Lee collected them from the East River. These are pieces of styrofoam garbage. The river has worn them until they look like natural rocks. The combination of beauty and repugnancy in these objects reflects the aesthetic of this museum.
The permanent collection includes the shoe thrown at George W. Bush and a water boiler. Alex Kalman and Benny and Joshua Safdie who are Mmuseumm’s creators and meta-curators own these items.
There is no room for label cards with hundreds of objects in such a small space. Instead each collection or item has a number. Visitors call a number on their cell phone. Then, they punch in that number to get the name and a brief description of each item. This adds to the mystery. Visitors at first have no idea what they are looking at.
Mmuseumm stands as a modern natural history museum. It is dedicated to its signature curatorial style of object journalism. Mmuseumm collects contemporary art and artifacts to tell the story of today’s modern world through its exhibits. Here are some of the must-see items at Mmuseumm. They include ISIS currency prison-made objects and personal items of immigrants. So, take a peek inside Mmuseumm. Discover the hidden stories within the ordinary.