Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

Dedicated to showcasing art that pushes boundaries and elicits strong reactions, the Museum of Contemporary Art occupies an angular structure crafted by German architect Josef Paul Kleihues. While the exterior may not steal the show, the interior offers a plethora of reasons to visit. The four-story atrium, enveloped in glass walls, treats visitors to spectacular vistas. Ascending to the top floor, you'll discover barrel-vaulted galleries bathed in soft, indirect natural light, while tucked against the northern wall, a graceful staircase winds around an almond-shaped reflecting pool.

Museum facilities span all four levels. The ground floor hosts the lower level of the gift shop and an auditorium. Ascending to the second floor, you'll find the upper level of the gift shop, a spacious area for temporary exhibitions, and the sleek Puck’s at the MCA café – a spot best savored during the summer when the terrace is open. The third and fourth floors play host to rotating displays from the museum's permanent collection. On the third floor, you'll likely encounter Modernist mobiles by the likes of Alexander Calder, with a local art enthusiast generously lending the museum fifteen of Calder's abstract sculptures on an indefinite basis. Among them, the monochromatic 'Black 17 Dots and The Ghost' stands out, a testament to Calder's penchant for employing vibrant colors.

Venturing to the fourth floor, you can expect to encounter works by modern art stalwarts such as Jasper Johns, Sol LeWitt, and René Magritte, alongside more contemporary creations. It's highly probable that you'll encounter pieces by Bruce Nauman, given that the MCA boasts one of the most extensive collections of his work. Nauman is renowned for his attention-grabbing neon slogans, such as 'Life Death Love Hate Pleasure Pain', but he also explored the realms of video and audio environments, photography, sculpture, and drawing.