Tuesday 3 October (Day Sixteen)
Today is another free museum day. We think we’ll go to the GAM (modern art museum) and the MAO (museum of oriental art). We have about five hours to do all this but we’ll start at the GAM, which is a little further away.
The GAM is in a very lovely area of town. Gorgeous big mansions here, and trees and flowers. Under the closest porticoes are very exclusive shops too. I think I’ll check out if there is a millionaire’s area of town and go ogle. Terrible habit – makes me way too envious – but yeah that sounds like something to do for a half hour or so. But we’re in too much of a hurry today to linger around here. On my list to check back on.
Outside the museum is a pretty amazing sculpture. Looks like they took an uprooted tree and made a mould, and casted it. The root detail is especially impressive.
The museum itself reminds us of the Hayward Gallery on the South Bank. It’s concrete and abstract. On the roof, a sign reminds us, All Art Has Been Contemporary. Krish argues this but I know it’s true. In its time even the great masters’ works were modern and perhaps shocking – the first non religious painting must have stunned its audience. And I’m not a fan of today’s modern art or even recent yesterday’s modern art. Leaves me a bit cold, even Picasso. So I’m really pleased that in this art museum there are as many recognisable pieces – classic artists even, like the portrait by Auguste Renoir – as there are abstract and ‘silly’ ones. I find some favourite pieces in there, most of which I haven’t seen before and even feel inspired to get that damned sketch book. It’s about colour and expression and not perfection, although some of these paintings are mind-blowingly gorgeous.
Also the stairs down to the basement and the entire lower level are tiled with a gorgeous display of colour – glass or likely Perspex or the like (must research!) inlays are set down. The whole effect is dizzying but beautiful.
Surprisingly, we’ve spent a little more time in here than expected. We walk towards the MAO but it will have to be another day.