The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse

I first learned of the The Margulies Collection when reading an article in the December 6, 2015 NYTimes about the Miami collector for whom the museum is named, Martin Margulies. Well, I thought, this guy is amazing, to think how insightful he was to start collecting deKoonings, Eliasson, Noguchi, Segal, Serra more than 30 years ago, when the majority of art appreciators were not appreciating this type of art, no, not at all. This is not a traditional gallery, and certainly not a museum. It is a showcase for Margulies personal collection, or a large part of it, contained within almost 50,000 square feet of several warehouses in Lynwood Art District. It’s large. No, It’s HUGE! And many of the pieces displayed are humongous installation pieces, soaring 40 feet high and 20 feet in diameter. My descriptions cannot do justice to what he has collected and allows the public to see, at minimal cost, October through April.
The Collection is operated by a not-​for-​profit Foundation, with all proceeds going to support Lotus House, a shelter for women in Miami. Security guard are shelter residents. When there, we benefitted from a tour led by the Collection’s curator, who was low key, easy to understand, oh-​so-​knowledgable, and responsive to questions from the less than dozen people in attendance. We were fortunate to meet the Collection’s Assistant Curator, Nuncio Auricchio after our tour, and he shared his fascinating story of how he started as an unpaid intern while student at UM, and has been with the Collection for 9 years. He’s a fortunate guy, and a pleasure to speak with. Nuncio, thanks for being so gracious!
It was easy to walk around, move from one floor to another. There was no overbearing presence of security guards, which we experienced when we went to the PAMM later that day.
This was almost a religious experience for me, walking around and through these pieces by artists, some of whom, work exchanges hands at auctions at $ 10 – 20 million
There is free parking in a fenced in lot. Walk up to the unassuming front door, ring the bell, and enter another world.
We will return in the Fall, and spend several hours feeding our ever-​hungry hearts and souls for art. Anyone going here will appreciate what they see and experience. Take the tour, it is scheduled daily at 11 AM, when the Collection opens. You’ll appreciate it. Trust me. Look at my pics. You’ll get it. Go.

Amazing collection and art exhibit. The warehouse is huge which allows the curator to display lots of art piece by theme and artists: photos, sculptures, fine arts… an exceptional place with plenty of light.

An amazing space — the architecture inside of this warehouse is the best of its kind in Miami.
My only complaint is the schizophrenic nature of the art on display. I know the philosophy of the institution is a bit unfettered, but there’s no vision; it’s uninspired. The space is a big display case for Martin Marguilies’ collection, and it doesn’t try to go beyond that cabinet quality. There doesn’t feel like there’s any thought behind placement or how works relate to the space and to each other.
I do laud the collection for it’s dedication to media arts, which other collectors in the area have neglected. But, ultimately, there are better examples of the Miami Model.

Great collection!

This place is worth a detour through a dingy warehouse area. Think big sculptures and photography. Nice little museum. Don’t get lost dude.

Marty Margulies has collected one of the most expansive and impressive collections of contemporary art in the world. Although the warehouse does not look like much from the outside, inside it houses not only an immaculate collection of sculpture and installations, but an archive of photography and priceless pieces.
Any art lover will recognize everything from Barry McGee to original Jasper Johns. The most impressive thing about the Margulies Collection is the diversity and foresight. They have large scale installations, paintings, video art dating back into the eighties before the movement. Sometimes they even have performance pieces on display.
Highly recommended. But they are only open at certain times so be sure to check the website. If all other attempts fail go during Art Basel.

the pieces in this collection are amazing! they have beautiful sculptures, glorious videos, and lovely photographs; they also have interactive pieces that are very enjoyable. my favorite piece is the one by ernest neto, it is out of this world– in his piece stockings (that’s what they look like) filled with different spices hang from above. as you walk through the different stockings hung at different heights you’re engulfed in this fabulous aroma that takes you somewhere else. this piece is so great that you just want to lie down underneath it and stay there forever. another great piece is this video by issac julien called «western union: small boats.» this video piece consists of three screens that each display something different. it’s a beautiful video and it’s especially powerful due to the three screens and surround sound.
the margulies collection is a must see for any art lover or for a regular joe that wants to experience something different and see something he’s never seen before.
don’t be fooled by its location or exterior; never has the phrase, «don’t judge by a book by its cover» been so true before.
just walk in and enjoy.

the margulies collection is my favorite place to view photography. it has one of the best collections i’ve EVER seen. the place is a whopping 45,000 sq. ft. (renovated…again) and houses an extensive collection starting with hine and going up until the cutting edge present. margulies is an avid and voracious collector (you might recognize his name from FIU campus sculpture garden– that he donated) and he does not disappoint. if you like photography plan on making a few trips, because it’s all too overwhelming to do in one trip. i’d even go so far to say… impossible.
in addition to the amazing photography… the collection also contains, video, sculpture and installation. but i don’t really know too much about that stuff (sorry.) but it’s there and a lot of its really wacky. some installations take up entire rooms. and there was this weird talking green eyeball thing (not sure if it’s still there) but it was freaking annoying.
they also have an educational program and frequently have guest speakers. you can arrange for a guided tour as well.
they were closed this summer (07) and just put in a bunch of new works by Noguchi, Donald Judd, DeKooning, Ernesto Netto, Miro, Olafur Eliasson, Richard Long, Richard Serra, Tony Smith, George Segal, Michael Heizer, Sol LeWitt and many others.
last time i went it was still free to the public. how can you not go???
UPDATE: went during basel and they cut out most of the photography. the entire dowstairs was pretty much sculpture and installation and actually many of the sculptures were taken back from FIU’s campus. really amazing stuff. photography should be back and updated after basel. the image is from a video installation that takes up an entire room and is projected… that’s my girlfriend walking through the smoke and projection. too f-​ing cool. this place really is a must!