It's on the must-see list for visitors to New York: The Museum of Modern Art, or MoMA. Now, folks making their way into the museum with one of the world's great collections of modern art will see art before they even reach the galleries. It's right in the main lobby, a work called "Songs From Life," from artist Odili Donald Odita.

"When you walk in, you get a sense of this energy and color and light and patterns that fill our entire atrium," said Ugochukwu-Smooth Nzewi, the Steve and Lisa Tananbaum Curator of the Department of Painting and Sculpture, who organized the installation along with curatorial assistant Elizabeth Wickham.

Odita and his team transformed the MoMA lobby with colorful patterns on the walls and columns. They have been here since late February working around the busy MOMA crowds and events schedule to make it all happen. 

"I really like how the public gets involved," Odita said. "They really get to see an artist studio in action and process. They get to see a work transform right in front of them."

Nzewi said MoMA had been hoping to work with Odita for years, but the stars had not aligned. For this project, it all worked out. 

"We thought it was an incredible opportunity to invite him to help us reimagine how our lobby can look and it's really been a fantastic experience with the artist and the visitors," Nzewi said.

Odita said there is a story behind the work of a traveler, a newcomer to a space. In a way, it's the story of the museum and how it functions for people coming from around the world to see art together. A QR code will allow visitors to listen to an accompanying playlist of songs.

"You can listen to those songs, all of the walls have different activity, different types of patterns going on so you can experience that in your own way," Odita said.

There are about 192 colors in the installation.

Odita said he has been creating wall installations around the globe for nearly two decades, and he is excited for so many people to see his work at this world famous institution.

"I had to overcome the dilemma of how great and historic this place is, and all the great things that have happened here, and at the end of the day trust who I am as an artist and know that they asked me to do something here because they believe in what I can do," Odita said. 

Odita said it's been a great accomplishment to get the job done on time, and bringing an audience into another kind of awareness of what painting can be has been a beautiful thing for him. 

Plan your visit here.