Tag Archives: gallery

From Barcelona, Not The Normal Thing To See At A Museum!

Walking down a narrow street in Barcelona, heading for the contemporary art museum called MACBA, we strolled past several sidewalk cafes at the front corner of the large white museum building.

Sidewalk cafes are conveniently located outside the front entry of MACBA — the museum of contemporary art in Barcelona, Spain.

We certainly weren’t expecting what we saw unfolding in the courtyard in front of us. Dozens of young people were ‘hanging out’ in various places along the courtyard and in clumps at the front of MACBA. And what we were laughing at was the sight of skateboarders doing tricks right in front of that museum!

They were quite considerate and confined their activity to a small area so that they didn’t interfere with the pedestrians who were criss-crossing the plaza or coming in and out of the museum.

Young men on skateboards perform in the open plaza outside MACBA — the museum of contemporary art in Barcelona, Spain.

Day to day life in Barcelona surprised us again and again. We might be living in Europe now, but our quiet French town is rather sedate compared to the unfolding comedy, drama, and action in this large metropolitan part of Spain.

Angles and Curves on A Barcelona Museum

We’re back to coverage from Spain for today’s photo of the day which was taken in front of MACBA — the Museum of Contemporary Barcelona Art.

People sitting atop & walking by a low wall in front of MACBA, a contemporary art museum in Barcelona, Spain.

This museum is right in the middle of the University of Barcelona district, so it is draped with young people every single day. I’ll have another variation of this museum front facade in a very different kind of mood tomorrow!

Photo Of The Day: Vast Art Spaces From Re-Purposed Buildings

Stunning open space inside the Tate Modern in London, England. The former Bankside Power Station was re-purposed as the Tate Modern — but it continues to evolve with the Tate Modern Project which will drastically transform the external appearance of this important art institution.

An impressive open space in part of the Tate Modern art museum in London, England

Photo Of The Day From London: Trajan’s Column at Victoria and Albert Museum

This close-up of a section of a reproduction of Trajan’s Column was taken in the Plaster Cast room at the V&A (Victoria and Albert) Museum in London.

I’ll share some more images from that splendid gallery in the museum in the coming days. And please remember, these are ALL copyrighted images that have tracking attached to them!

Detail shot from the massive plaster cast of Trajan's column at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, England

When The Sun Comes Out In Edinburgh…

When the sun comes out in Edinburgh, Scotland — a rush is on for any available seat outside to soak up the rays as you eat your cafe lunch. At least that’s what we witnessed yesterday at the National Gallery of Modern Art. And as we drove through the park-side areas along Queen Street on the way to and from the museum’s two massive buildings, we could see that the paths were filled with women pushing strollers, children were playing on the grass, and people were sitting atop benches and low stone walls everywhere as they ate their lunch in warmth for a nice change.

Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh, Scotland

Architectural details: exterior steps of Dean Gallery

Afternoon light in the museum cafe - Photo by Mark Harmes

Each of the museums, one formerly an elegant boarding school and one a former orphanage housed in a rather impressive building, had vast rooms with high ceilings that were perfect for displaying the art in the collections. I was unable to take photos inside due to the rules of each museum, but I quite enjoyed the massive metal sculpture by Eduardo Paolozzi as you entered the gates of the Dean Gallery.

Large sculpture by Eduardo Paolozzi at Dean Gallery in Edinburgh, Scotland

A Visit With Vincent

The morning weather report had a forecast of snow and the startling cold air against my cheeks as I left the apartment made me believe that smiling weatherman. He was wrong — and I was relieved. There was already enough residual ice on the pavement all over Amsterdam to make the simple act of walking require alertness, concentration, and good balance.

Appropriately bundled up and laughing about the fact that a mere four days ago we had been at the beach in Australia, we caught the #3 tram and headed for the area known as Museumplein and the Van Gogh Museum at Paulus Potterstraat 7, trying to arrive right at the opening time of of 10 AM. The visitors were quite sparse and, feeling rather smug about that, we headed into the first of four floors of artwork. But by the time we emerged from the last gallery into the museum shop, we were walking in stops and starts due to the sheer number of people who entered the building in the two hour period since our arrival.

Van Gogh Museum exterior side view

This is a moving collection of Vincent Van Gogh’s work that clearly shows his evolution through various stages as an artist. The mental struggles that he endured are evident as you see the colour palette and brushwork change over the years. The pieces produced during his lighter and more upbeat years are a startling contrast to the heavier-hearted and more frantic works of art. I highly recommend this museum if you have at least a two hour window in your own visit to Amsterdam.

We are travelling now — finally — after planning this life change and free-fall adventure for over two years. So we have no place to call home right now, no walls to hang artwork on, no shelves to stack books on, no cabinets to place things within.

Books on display in the shop at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam

I looked at the posters, opened the books, touched the scarves and t-shirts, and walked away from them. In the end my sole purchase was a handful of postcards. And Mark had quite a surprised expression on his face when he heard me say aloud, “I have no desire to acquire.” And I meant it!

Posters and prints in the Van Gogh Museum Shop

This is a beautiful museum inside — light and airy and contemporary. But there is no photography allowed inside, so I can only assure you that it is lovely and urge you to go and see it for yourself. Although the artwork is spread out over four levels, there are both stairways and elevators for easy access. And there is one of the nicest self-serve restaurants on the ground floor that I have seen in any museum. We took a break for a coffee and a pastry at 11:30 and were quite impressed with the food that was available.

After leaving the Van Gogh Museum, our plan was to walk next door to the Stedelijk Museum — the modern art museum — but it is closed on Mondays, so we will have to try again later this week.

Realizing that the crowds at the Rijksmuseum would be considerable so late after the morning opening time, we decided to spend the rest of the day gently meandering through the park area in Museumplein and then take a tram into the Central District for some window shopping.

Here are some of the sights that I spotted along the way. Enjoy!

Lunch Kiosk Microvan (made by same company that manufactures Vespa scooters in Italy)

Wooden clog holding sunflower on cafe table in Museumplein

A Wanderful Life

The Neverending Journey