I’m pretty sure many of you already had the curiosity to visit the new Albright-Knox-Gundlach (AKG) art gallery, after all it opened in August 2023!
For some reason, I kept postponing my visit to the newly constructed Gundlach art gallery. There was something oddly satisfying about just driving by the new gallery and gazing at it from the outside.
Until one day when the Project Management Institute Buffalo announced a tour with the AKG gallery. They also arranged a talk with one of the key project managers involved in this unique effort. I did sign up for that event too but somehow I missed adding it to my calendar. By the time I remembered, it was too late. I was pretty upset about it.
Imagine my excitement for the new opportunity of a guided tour of the entire AKG gallery!
We’ve met at the town hall center, the new community space located in the heart of the “old” Knox building. I called it the “blue room” in my mind – from the color of the main art piece engulfing the space and functioning as a roof.
As we began our tour, exploring the art pieces in the “old” building with our docent, I found myself nitpicking at our docent’s narrative in my head. Luckily, I caught myself going down that rabbit hole and stopped immediately. I decided to shed my identity as an artist and wear that of a project manager instead – the one without much art knowledge. And from that moment on, I truly enjoyed our tour.
And while passing by another group with a particularly loud docent, I came to appreciate ours even more. A very sweet lady, passionate about art, who kept growing on me. I even got to learn new things from her because in art, much like in life, we all see things through different lenses…
As soon as we opened the doors to the walkway connecting the old building with the new one, I felt instantly transported. The glass walkway opened up a view of the city at night, simultaneously reflecting our bodies. I was stepping into an imaginary airport terminal, complete with the anticipation and promise of new adventures.
Exploring the artwork inside my imaginary airport terminal
It felt as if time was suspended just long enough for me to explore the artwork while in anticipation for my next destination…