“For an institution that grew out of pressure to be purpose- and goal-oriented, it’s significant that the new building is all about flexibility and choice. But it may be the simple occasion of the reopening that sends the most radical message. On that day, impressed visitors chatted with museum guards, curious to know about all the planning and thought that led to this moment. The new installation, meanwhile, could be seen as one enormous special exhibition, and from what I observed, drew the kind of excited response from visitors not typically sparked by a permanent collection. These changes send a message that’s stronger than any wall text or speech: museums are not fixed systems; art is up for interpretation.”