2008 Whitney Biennial

Right before we left for Rome, we had an "only in New York" moment: unfettered, completely unadulterated access to the fifth floor at the Whitney, home to paintings, etc. from its permanent collection. We'd wandered up there from the kind-of-paltry members' only–continental breakfast, as a break from the biennial works on floors 1–4. And there we were, absolutely alone. No other patrons, no security guards. If only we could see all museums like that.

As for the biennial, it was quieter than in years past. Same emphasis on abstract sculpture and video installations, though. The best works explored the materiality of art: how it fades, how it's produced, how it's displayed. We also liked Carol Bove's The Night Sky over New York (above), because we really, really heart art about our favorite city.