Hirshhorn Bubble
The National Mall is a symbol of American democracy, a space synonymous with free speech where citizens can voice their dissent. There is a disconnect, however, between the discursive space of the Mall and the quiet monumentality of the national museums that line its edges. Particularly mute is the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution. Richard Koshalek, the museum’s director between 2009 and 2013, was determined to make the Hirshhorn’s location matter. Standing within a stone’s throw of the U.S. Capitol, and with 180 embassies and 500- plus think tanks nearby, the site was, in his opinion, an opportunity for the Hirshhorn to become a cultural institution in dialogue with policymaking. Although art and politics are inherently and implicitly intertwined, this new museum extension provided an opportunity to take this relationship a step further. The architectural project thus invites politics into the core of the museum, which acts as a think tank for arts and culture and an agent of cultural diplomacy.
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