A new exhibition devoted to Constantin Brancusi, a pioneering figure in modern sculpture, opened Sunday at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, offering fresh perspectives on the artist through an immersive presentation of his studio and works. The show, titled “Brancusi: The Artist and His Studio,” coincides with the temporary closure of the Pompidou Center in Paris, which houses Brancusi’s original atelier and collection.

Brancusi (1876–1957), a Romanian-born sculptor who spent much of his career in Paris, is known for his abstract, pared-down forms that distilled human figures, animals, and natural motifs into simple geometric shapes. In particular, his “Bird in Space,” a slender, polished bronze sculpture suggesting flight, stands as an emblem of his pursuit of pure form. Yet this exhibition places a strong emphasis on the artist’s physical workspace at Impasse Ronsin in Paris, where he lived and created for four decades.

Upon his death, Brancusi bequeathed his studio and its contents to France. The Pompidou Center’s closure for renovations allowed MoMA to reconstruct a walk-in replica of his atelier, featuring its characteristic tools, white plaster dust, and signature furnishings. The installation reconstructs the environment in which Brancusi worked and lived, including his vast collection of chisels, saws, calipers, and even a mailbox, underscoring the artisanal nature of his practice. Visitors can also experience Brancusi’s personal record player and listen to selections from his playlist, which includes Roma folk and Latin American music.

The exhibition’s curation, led by Anne Umland, situates Brancusi not only as a visionary sculptor of abstract forms but also as a craftsman deeply engaged with the tactile process of carving stone and wood. Tools on display are presented with an aesthetic sensitivity, linking the raw materials Brancusi used to the geometric motifs he developed, such as the vertical zigzag patterns of his “Endless Columns.”

Brancusi's early biography informs much of the show’s narrative. Born in a Romanian village south of the Carpathians, he was encouraged from childhood to experiment with toolmaking. At 28, he walked to Paris, where he briefly apprenticed under Auguste Rodin before striking out on his own. He rejected Rodin’s more figurative style, criticizing it as overly muscular and literal, in favor of a more essential, reductive language. His early piece “The Kiss” (1907–08), which simplifies the embrace of two lovers into a unified stone block, notably challenged Rodin’s own depiction of the same subject.

The display brings together multiple iterations of Brancusi’s recurring themes, including various versions of “The Kiss,” portraits such as “Mademoiselle Pogany,” and his enduring fascination with flight and sleep. The sculptures are presented loosely in chronological order on oval platforms, maintaining distance between viewer and work while creating rhythmic visual groupings.

Additionally, the exhibition highlights Brancusi’s innovative approach to pedestals—custom-designed to integrate with each sculpture—challenging conventional hierarchies between base and artwork. Though once overlooked or removed from photographic documentation, these pedestals have gained recognition for their role in defining the overall aesthetic impact of Brancusi’s pieces.

A complementary publication featuring Brancusi’s own photographs further explores his practice of rearranging sculptures as a form of ongoing creative expression. This dynamic approach challenges static notions of sculpture and presentation.

While Brancusi has historically been celebrated for his pursuit of formal purity, the exhibition suggests a more nuanced understanding: his work embraces contradictions and material diversity. This perspective has influenced contemporary sculptors known for combining disparate textures and elements, including Arlene Shechet, Rachel Harrison, Carol Bove, and Ugo Rondinone.

Through this comprehensive reexamination, MoMA’s show offers a textured portrait of Brancusi as both a visionary artist and a hands-on craftsman deeply connected to the physical act of making.