At a glance
A site-specific installation at the Met merges a historic nineteenth-century panorama of Versailles with film of modern Paris to explore urban edges and architecture.
Meet the artist
Why go
It offers a rare opportunity to see a landmark work from the Met's permanent collection activated by new technology, architectural interventions, and a custom musical score.
You'll see
Two LED screens · Cinematic footage of Versailles · The Boulevard Périphérique · References to Atget · John Vanderlyn’s circular panorama
Pace of visit
The layered audiovisual presentation rewards visitors who take the time to view the film sequences from different angles within the gallery.
Don't miss
The original score by Jeff Parker, which provides a sonic framework for the overlapping views of historical and contemporary France.
Artlovers Tip
Stand in several positions around the circular gallery; the subject of the work is perspective itself, and the experience changes as you move through the space.
Inside the exhibition
Peripheries — David Hartt at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, New York, is a site-specific commission that reimagines the gallery housing John Vanderlyn’s nineteenth-century panorama of Versailles. Hartt integrates contemporary media into this historic setting, pairing the idealized past of the French monarchy with the modern reality of the city's outskirts.
The installation features two LED screens displaying footage of the palace grounds alongside scenes from the Boulevard Périphérique, the ring road that separates central Paris from its suburbs. Hartt incorporates references to the photography of Eugène Atget, layering these visuals within the circular architecture of the room. An original score by musician Jeff Parker accompanies the moving images, grounding the experience in sound.
By placing these contrasting urban and historical elements together, the exhibition examines how space and power are represented across different eras. It transforms a static nineteenth-century painting into a shifting field of view that challenges traditional perspectives on architecture and urban studies. The result is a layered encounter with history that feels entirely relevant to contemporary social geography.
Worth travelling for?
A sophisticated and rewarding intervention for those interested in how contemporary media can activate historic collections through sound and cinema.
Experience as an Artlover
Check the museum website for specific entry requirements to the American Wing, where the installation is housed.
Peripheries — David Hartt
Admission
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