Tag Archives: Contemporary Art

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Explore 21st Century Russian Art at the Tretyakov Gallery

The Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia

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Located in Moscow, Russia, the State Tretyakov Gallery boasts the best collection of Russian fine art in the world. While the museum may be primarily dedicated to the history of Russian art, they have recently opened up a new branch that focuses on Russian modern art, with several exhibits that focus on Russian art from the 21st century.

The Tretyakov Gallery
The Tretyakov Gallery is known and loved for its incredibly rich collection that focuses on Russian art. In addition to preserving and representing Russian art, the gallery also aims to help to form a sense of Russian cultural identity, drawing attention to the importance of art in general. By providing a way in which locals, as well as tourists, can access Russian masterpieces, as well as other important pieces of world art, the museum hopes to enrich peoples’ lives and make Russia a better place.

The Modern Art: 1960-2000. Restart
The Modern Art: 1960-2000. Restart is an exhibition that began in April 2016, and will be running until December 2017, so you only have a few months left if you are hoping to catch it. This is a fascinating exhibition that addresses the mistrust that the public tends to have towards modern art. It does this by portraying the incredible diversity of some of the artistic trends that emerged after the 20th century, acquainting viewers with some of the most interesting works from this spectacular cultural period that we are now living in.

Still-Life. Metamosphoses. Dialogue Between Classic and Contemporary Art
There have always been some interesting contrasts between classic and contemporary art, and the Tretyakov Gallery is trying to explore this further. In order to ensure that as wide an audience as possible can experience this exhibit, they have made it into a virtual one, with the link available on their website. The exhibit features around 200 pieces of artwork from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, which are either from major museum collections or donated from private collections.

A tour group admiring painting at Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia

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Tours of the Tretyakov Gallery
With so much art on display, dating back many years, a guided tour is often the best way to really explore the Tretyakov Gallery. The guided tours are carried out in English, French and German, but do not worry if you speak a different language, as group interpretors are available too. The knowledgable guides will take you through the highlights of the museum’s collection, but, if it is just modern art that you are interested in seeing, a tailored tour can also be arranged. If you do want to arrange for a special tour, make sure that you do this more than three days in advance of your visit, otherwise the price for your tour will significantly rise.

Modern Russian art is something that is being nurtured all across Russia, and the country’s art scene is now really thriving because of this. While the Tretyakov Gallery may be primarily focussed on historical art, their modern art exhibits are still definitely worth checking out, and their collections are constantly expanding, so you never know what you may end up seeing.

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Unique Texas Artistry

Texas art
Texas is known for its thriving contemporary art scene, and the Texas Sculpture Garden, which can be found in Hall Park, Frisco, is the perfect example of this. Created to nurture the impressive talent of local artists, the sculpture park is home to over 40 works of art, making it the largest collection of contemporary sculpture that Texas has seen so far.

Exterior Highlights
The sculptures found in the exterior of the Texas Sculpture Garden are most definitely impressive, with many of them using height and scale to their advantage. Maternal Caress is a sculpture that never fails to capture the hearts of many visitors, representing the unconditional love, and unbreakable bond, between mother and child. This piece was created by Eliseo S. Garcia, a local artist that has won numerous public art competitions. Time Management is another poignant sculpture, this one making a point about the way in which individuals choose to lead their life and spend their time, which is a subject that is becoming increasingly significant as the years progress. Other highlights of the Exterior include Coming Out of the Circle by Dallas artist Sherry Owens, which features an extraordinary level of craftsmanship, Prairie Falls by David Hickman, which makes use of copper and marble, and The Wiz, an engaging abstract piece by Art Shirer.

Interior Highlights
Continuing into the first floor of the lobby, the Interior of the Texas Sculpture Garden contains pieces that are just as captivating as the exterior, although many of them are on a smaller scale. Clock Rider by Richard Neidhardt is a thought-provoking piece that focuses on the topic of time, while Bird Window, by Tim Nentrup, was originally inspired by a retail display at a women’s fashion store, and features French windows with eighty birds perched on the frame. Panther is another awe-inspiring piece, created by Dallas artist Isaac Smith. Smith is a self-taught woodcarver that has been creating spectacular wildlife sculptures for over 40 years, and the Panther that you will see at the Texas Sculpture Garden features a level of intricacy that only hints at how time-consuming the process of woodcarving is.

The Hall Collection
In addition to being home to the Texas Sculpture Garden, Hall Park also boasts the Hall Collection, over 150 works of art by artists from all over the world. These include everything from sketches to sculpture to photography to glass art, with topics ranging from the comical to the serious, and is a must-visit for art lovers that are planning to spend some time at the Texas Art Garden. These pieces are scattered throughout the park, both outside as well as inside various buildings, and there are maps available so that visitors can easily find their way around and plan their day.

Texas has long since supported its local artists, and, as a result, the state has been rewarded by an incredible amount of talent. The Texas Sculpture Garden showcases some of the best sculptors that Texas has produced, and is definitely worth a visit from any art enthusiasts out there.

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Singapore Art Museum

Singapore Art Museum

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A contemporary art museum that focuses on Southeast Asian pieces, the Singapore Art Museum is situated in a restored 19th-century mission school, and first opened its doors in 1996, becoming the country’s very first art museum. Set right in the heart of Singapore’s art and culture district, the museum boasts a fantastic collection of both temporary and permanent exhibitions.

Odyssey: Navigating Nameless Seas
Odyssey: Navigating Nameless Seas is an exhibition that is currently being held at the Singapore Art Museum, and makes viewers think about the many mysteries that lie beneath the world’s seven seas. Featuring pieces by artists such as Rashid Rana, Sally Smart and Pratchaya Phinthong, the exhibition takes a look at the numerous expeditions that humans have made into the sea, but brings to attention the fact that there is plenty more waiting to be discovered.

Imaginarium: Over the Ocean, Under the Sea
Imaginarium: Over the Ocean, Under the Sea continues on with Singapore Art Museum’s temporary sea theme, with an exhibition aimed at captivating the younger ones. This children-focussed annual exhibition is tactile and interactive, encouraging children to get involved with what they see, discovering for themselves what lies beneath the ocean.

Learning Gallery
The Learning Gallery at the Singapore Art Museum showcases some of the museum’s permanent collection, while encouraging discussion and engagement with each of the pieces displayed. Nguan is a collection of photographs from various artists that capture the nuances of everyday Singapore, featuring un-posed and intimate portraits of residents going about their daily lives on the city streets. HDB Life is an interactive exhibition, highlighting the way in which HDB flats are now iconic when it comes to Singapore’s landscape. Here, visitors are able to create their dream HDB unit with the use of stickers, showing how these plain and sterile units become so uniquely transformed by the individual residents that move into them. Another fantastic interactive piece is We Are Family by Vicente Delgado, a Spanish artist who has lived in Singapore for over ten years. Using bold colors, textures and shapes to create a soft sculpture, visitors are encouraged to interact and play with these shapes, using them to create their own forms.

Participatory Programs
The Singapore Art Museum prides itself on its schedule of participatory programs that are open to the public. Their Short Films Screenings are ideal opportunities for film fans to see pieces that they may not otherwise have been able to, from the imaginative nature documentary The Deep to animated French film The Little Cousteau. There are also a number of different workshops and demonstrations available to attend, such as the Plastic Ocean Illustration Workshop and the Knots Workshop.

Singapore has always considered itself to be a hub for arts and culture, and the Singapore Art Museum shows that it has been successful in keeping this alive. With its specialized focus on Southeast Asian contemporary art, visitors will be able to experience art pieces that are truly unique to the region, making the most of a museum that is considered to be one of the finest art museums in the region.