Haven & Harmony

Because of the deep impact The Living Room exhibition had on the Museum in 2024, Lee Mingwei was invited back to help design a room in the soon-to-be-constructed New Wing, inspired by his project.

Mingwei suggested that the room have three distinct zones: one for social interaction, one for discreetly hovering and observing other interactions in the room, and one for being self-aware and contemplating the past by looking out at the Jordan Garden and the Palace. The Gardner’s famous canary, Whistler, now resides in the Living Room because birds were featured in the original installation in 2024.

“I believe that the essence of this museum does not reside merely in its architecture and objects, but also in its staff and extended family, who make this place function as a living organism on a day-to-day basis. By carrying on the organic process of sharing and entertaining, the Museum regains its role as more than a mausoleum for inanimate, exotic objects.”