Looking for contemporary culture: museums to see?
Michael Forrest
<din...@pacific.net.sg> writes
>I'm mainly looking
>for Modern and contemporary art.
The Tate Gallery in London.
--
Michael Forrest
Frank Goodrick
Dinesh Naidu wrote in message <7bs51g$e3s$1...@newton3.pacific.net.sg>...
>Hi there,
>
>
>My question is: what are the really good museums, galleries or even
>libraries to visit in these cities? I'm a student on a tight budget!
>
> I'm mainly looking
>for Modern and contemporary art. As for the Moderns - the Rodin museum in
>Paris is on my must see list (anyone seen it?). Also, I think there is
>supposed to be a good Van Gough gallery in Amsterdam (?).
>
>But I'm especially keen on cutting edge stuff - like installation pieces
(is
>Christo doing anything in Europe this May / June?), video art, etc... I'm
>also interested in European films.
>
>Paris,
Don't forget the "Pompidou." (Musée national d'Art moderne - Centre Georges
Pompidou)
There's also a city modern museum across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower,
with an interesting
Art Deco-machine age slant.(Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris)
Was at the Rodin years ago, have a vague recollection of being pleased with
the visit.
I've never been to the Musée d'Orsay, but it's a new one dedicated to
Impressionists.
>Amsterdam, Van Gogh
last time I was there, it was closed long-term; don't know if it has
re-opened.
It's just up the street from the Rijksmuseum; I found it unexciting (I went
on a previous visit when it was open), but I'm odd man out with that
opinion.
>Berlin
if it's still there, check out the "Wall Street Gallery" just up the street
where the wall was situated from the old "Checkpoint Charlie".
Dokumenta in Kassel isn't on this year, or it would be a must-see for you.
>Marseilles
If you can get into the country, check out the Fondation Maeght at St. Paul
de Vence; Fondation Vasarely in Aix-en-Provence & Vasarely Didactic Museum
in Gordes Castle. Would make for a very nice driving tour as well. There's
also a restaurant in St. Paul de Vence, which is a virtual art gallery - the
owner was paid for meals over the years with paintings. The name escapes me,
but it would be in guides like Cadogan's Provence.
>and Barcelona.
Don't miss the obvious Gaudi sights.
(Regrettably) we missed the Joan Miro Foundation here, but look into it.
I'd skip the Picasso Museum here, promising as it sounds, but if at all
possible travel a couple of hours north to Figueres & allow lots of time to
see the Salvador Dali museum .
The Vasarely museums & the Dali are the subject of much negative press, but
I found them to be vital, if for no other reason than the colossal monuments
to the artists' egos that they are (all 3 were established & designed by the
artist himself). In a way, they are huge installation pieces themselves.
Frank.
David Chung
While in Paris:
Unfortunately the Pompidou Center and the Modern Art museum it houses are both
closed until 1/1/2000. You might try the Espace Salvador Dali on Monmartre as
well as the la Vilette area and its museums.
Since you mentioned Van Gogh -- The Musee d'Orsay is my favorite.
--Dave
Dinesh Naidu
I am an planning a trip to Europe beginning mid May. I'm visiting London,
Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and maybe Prague, Marseilles and Barcelona.
My question is: what are the really good museums, galleries or even
libraries to visit in these cities? I'm a student on a tight budget!
While I'd like to check out some 'old' stuff - like dinosaur bones and olde
documents (I'll be visiting the Brit Museum and Library)- I'm mainly looking
for Modern and contemporary art. As for the Moderns - the Rodin museum in
Paris is on my must see list (anyone seen it?). Also, I think there is
supposed to be a good Van Gough gallery in Amsterdam (?).
But I'm especially keen on cutting edge stuff - like installation pieces (is
Christo doing anything in Europe this May / June?), video art, etc... I'm
also interested in European films.
This might give you some idea of my interests. I hope someone (maybe with
similar tastes) can suggest some places to go to. I checked out various
travel books, including the blue guide, but descriptions are really limited
and I can't get a sense of what to see. Also, the blue guide seems to have a
slight bias towards old-ish stuff.
Hope someone can lend me a hand!
Thanks.
Dinesh.
Robert Buxbaum
Right now, I would say the primary must see contemporary culture icon
would be the new Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain. Unfortunately it's
not on your route.
Barcelona is a design afficianodo's dream city, if only for the many
plazas that have been built in the past couple of decades. The Miro
museum bookstore in Barcelona would be a good source for guides to those
plazas. Don't miss the museum designed by Sert anyway. Gaudi's
architecture is another draw in Barcelona.
In Paris, the Rodin Museum should be on everyone's must see list. I've
been there several times. Also check out the Foundation Cartier, on the
blvd. Rasphail, devoted to contemporary art. It was designed by Jean
Nouvel, one of the architects for the Institue du Monde Arabe also in
Paris.
--
---------------------------
new URL <www.worldtable.com> Food, Wine, & Travel - recent revisions
98-99 schedule for cooking school in Gascony; archive of Jack's posts
in rec.travel.europe; a final dinner at Restaurant Daniel, NYC Jul 98
Robert Buxbaum
drch...@cca.rockwell.com (David Chung) wrote:
> Dinesh,
>
> While in Paris:
>
> Unfortunately the Pompidou Center and the Modern Art museum it houses
are both
> closed until 1/1/2000. You might try the Espace Salvador Dali on Monmartre as
> well as the la Vilette area and its museums.
The structures in the Parc de la Vilette are well worth seeing.
> Since you mentioned Van Gogh -- The Musee d'Orsay is my favorite.
>
>
> --Dave
--
Sharon Jeroski
worth a special visit to Bilbao? It would be a bit out of my way on my
next trip, but possible--would you recommend it?
benh...@aapi.co.uk
When you arrive in London you might buy at the airport or elsewhere
the weekly events magazine "Time Out" and look at present exhibitions.
Galleries of intertest to you are thje ICA (Institute of Contemporary
Art) on the Mall by Trafalgar Square, the Serpentine Gallery between
Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, and the Whitechapel Gallery.
Otherwise, as people have said, the Tate. You might phone them, 0171
887 8000, or check whether they have a web site, to find what public
lectures and gallery talks they'll be offering. If your interest
extends to design you might check what is showing at the Design Museum
a little downstream from the southern end of Tower Bridge. And if
current popular culture, then you might enjoy the exhibition "Britain
since the War" at the Imperial War Museum, opening in a week or two.
Our National Film Theatre lies under the southern end of Waterloo
Bridge: I think that if you phone or write they will send you a
summary of the May programme, which they'll publish in mid April. The
programme in full costs about 1 pound 50.
"Libraries" is an interesting thought. The best place for you is the
library of the Royal College of Art next to Hyde Park in South
Kensington. Whether you can get in I'm not sure, but perhaps a
Singapore professor would write a letter for you to carry, to
introduce you and to explain your need.
To start on Paris you might like to look now at
http://www.pariscope.fr, under "Musees" and "Expositions". If French
gives you problems you could take a printout to the Alliance Francaise
in Singapore, and ask them to guide you. Naturally, many exhibitions
will change by May, but you'll get a whiff of what is there -- which
is a lot. Then on arrival in Paris you buy the magazine "Pariscope",
with listings for then and there. If you can't read it the tourist
information offices can, or reception staff at your hostel. Paris,
too, has a museum cinema, but I'm afraid I've forgotten its name.
For Berlin you might like to go now into either
http://www.berlinerzeitung.co.de (perhaps omit the "co") or
http://www.berlintips.co.de (perhaps the same ommission). One or the
other takes you into museums and exhibitions. Then once you're in
Berlin you buy a copy of Berlin Tips, and again get help in reading
it. The city has museums for Otto Nagel and for Kathe Kollwitz,
changing exhibitions of this century's work at ther Martin Gropius
Bau, and work from Continental and German painters of the twentieth
century in the New National Gallery. The tourist information office
in the Europahaus, a block from Zoo station, can advise and guide you.
I think there's no museum cinema in Berlin, but the DEFA film studios
at Babelsberg are open to view as a display. These are the studios of
early Marlene Dietrich and of "Metropolis", for example. Babelsberg
is halfway out to Potsdam. Berlin has a good number of small arts
cinemas. Walls have posters for the usual main cinemas, with current
films and blockbusters, but there are also posters for the association
of art cinemas, with some remarkable stuff. I saw "Sons of the
Desert" last time I was there.
Amsterdam has an Institute of Contemporary Art near Keizersgracht tram
stop at Nieuw Spiegelstraat 10 and a Film Museum, with cinema, in the
Vondels Park, but I'm afraid I don't know their work.
There's an erratic museum of Picasso in Barcelona, with some periods
well covered and others missing, and a beautifully designed museum of
contemporary art up on a hill. You'll see the Gaudi cathedral, I
should think. I'm sorry I'm no help on Marseilles or Prague.
I'm not really a contemporaries fan, but please write anyway if I can
help further.
Welcome to Europe
Ben Haines, London
Michael Forrest
<sha...@wimsey.com> writes
>I'm interested in hearing views about the Guggenheim in Bilbao. Is it
>worth a special visit to Bilbao? It would be a bit out of my way on my
>next trip, but possible--would you recommend it?
>
>Robert Buxbaum wrote:
>>
>
>> Right now, I would say the primary must see contemporary culture icon
>> would be the new Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain. Unfortunately it's
>> not on your route.
Absolutely yes. Especially for the architecture of the museum.
--
Michael Forrest
Miguel Cruz
> I am an planning a trip to Europe beginning mid May. I'm visiting London,
> Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and maybe Prague, Marseilles and Barcelona.
>
> My question is: what are the really good museums, galleries or even
> libraries to visit in these cities? I'm a student on a tight budget!
Check out the Steedelijk (STAY-duh-like) in Amsterdam. It's a strange place,
with some of the extremes of modern art. But everything is well-documented
so you can definitely learn a lot.
miguel
Robert Buxbaum
> I'm interested in hearing views about the Guggenheim in Bilbao. Is it
> worth a special visit to Bilbao? It would be a bit out of my way on my
> next trip, but possible--would you recommend it?
>
> Robert Buxbaum wrote:
> >
>
> > Right now, I would say the primary must see contemporary culture icon
> > would be the new Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain. Unfortunately it's
> > not on your route.
The Green Michelin guide to Spain awards two stars - worth a detour. I
disagree, I think it's worth a special trip and the number of people I
know who are making a special trip to an area they might not otherwise
visit are many. Of course most of those people have a professional
interest in the visual arts.
It's always hard to predict what others will want to see, but this is a
remarkable building and it has put Bilbao on the map culturally. It's
hard to argue that it's not a three star site. That doesn't mean it's
worth a special trip to you, but I think it is to many people.
Martin Rich
<din...@pacific.net.sg> wrote:
>Hi there,
>
>I am an planning a trip to Europe beginning mid May. I'm visiting London,
>Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and maybe Prague, Marseilles and Barcelona.
>
In London, the Tate is the gallery that you must visit - be sure to go
to the restaurant and look at the painting of the Great Wall of China
that Whistler painted on his landlady's wall. But also get a copy of
'Time Out' and see what particular exhibitions are running when you
visit. The Whitechapel Art Gallery, and the Saatchi Gallery in St
John's Wood, are good places to look for modern art, and in fact close
to Whitechapel you'll find that a lot of contemporary artists are at
work. If your interest extends to twentieth century design as well as
art, then head for the Design Museum on the Southwark side of Tower
Bridge. And don't discount the V & A which has plenty of twentieth
century material in its collection
You mentioned films - go to the National Film Theatre on the South
Bank (and take in the Museum of the Moving Image while you're there)
or one of the other repertory cinemas in London. Again, 'Time Out'
should be a useful source of information.
Martin
--
Martin Rich M.G....@city.ac.uk
City University Business School, London, UK
(0171) 477 8627 (Home email mar...@jackdaw.u-net.com)
Fax (0171) 477 8628 http://www.city.ac.uk/martin
José M. Malo
Sharon Jeroski wrote in message <36E2E1...@wimsey.com>...
>I'm interested in hearing views about the Guggenheim in Bilbao. Is it
>worth a special visit to Bilbao? It would be a bit out of my way on my
>next trip, but possible--would you recommend it?
>
IMHO, it's worth a detour, but only because of the architecture.
Inside you'll find :
The permanent collection, purchased by Basque Institutions : Very few works
yet.
Works owned by The Guggenheim Foundation : They are on loan and may be
changed whenever the Foundation wants. You maybe be lucky, maybe not.
The temporary exhibits : It depends, of course, on the exhibit and on your
taste. Check it before going.
In Bilbao, there are two more things to do that are :
Eating. The Basque Country food is simply *great*. Everything is good, but
if you don't want to have lunch or dinner in a formal restaurant, try the
"tapas" or "pintxos".
Visiting the Museo de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts). Five minutes
walking away from Guggenheim. Even there is a discount entrance ticket for
both museums. Ask in the first one you visit. There, you'll find a fine
collection of works (mainly paintings) from Romanesque to contemporary ones.
Regards.
Opinions expressed herein are my own and may not represent those of my employer.
Robert Buxbaum
Don't forget the metro. Bilbao has a very modern and handsome subway.
Martin Rich
<din...@pacific.net.sg> wrote:
>Hi there,
>
>I am an planning a trip to Europe beginning mid May. I'm visiting London,
>Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and maybe Prague, Marseilles and Barcelona.
>
>My question is: what are the really good museums, galleries or even
>libraries to visit in these cities? I'm a student on a tight budget!
>
Inexplicably I posted an earlier response without mentioning, in
London, the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts) in a fine terrace in
the Mall - an excellent centre for many of the things, including film,
that interest you