Peggy Guggenheim Collection – Venice, Italy

I love this museum! It feels as intimate as a home. At the same time, it is grandiose enough for this extraordinary collection and for the view of the Canal Grande. Located in Peggy Guggenheim's former home, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is the best in Italy for European and American art of the first half of the 20th century. You should spend a couple of hours here, and then enjoy a cappuccino in the Museum Café, on a terrace overlooking the beautiful sculpture garden.
Outside: Construction of the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni probably began in the 1750s, but was left unfinished. Funding may have run out, or, as some say, perhaps the powerful and jealous Corner family living opposite the building blocked its completion. The long low façade is made of Istrian white stone. A lovely sculpture garden, where Peggy’s dogs are buried, is a fresh and calm oasis in front of the house. Through the house, one can reach the terrazzo, which offers a magnificent view of the Canal Grande, from the Academia Bridge to the Salute. In 1949, Peggy Guggenheim purchased the Palazzo and made it her home for the next thirty years. Early in 1951, Peggy Guggenheim opened her home and collection to the public and continued to do so every year until her death in 1979. The museum opened a year later.

Inside: The museum still has the feeling of a home. Photos of the original rooms show how Peggy was living surrounded by art. Just think how many famous artists, collectors, and art dealers walked in Peggy’s living room. And now you are here! Peggy’s collection includes major works of Cubism, Futurism, Metaphysical painting, European abstraction, avant-garde sculpture, Surrealism, and American Abstract Expressionism. The greatest artists of the 20th century are represented, including Brancusi, Braque, Dalí, de Chirico, Duchamp, Giacometti, Kandinsky, Klee, Magritte, Marini, Miró, Mondrian, Picasso, and Pollock. The museum also exhibits masterpieces from the Gianni Mattioli Collection, including famous paintings of Italian Futurism, such as “Materia” and “Dynamism of a Cyclist” by Boccioni, “Interventionist Demostration” by Carrà, works by Balla, Depero, Severini, and Sironi. The collection also includes important early paintings by Morandi and a rare portrait by Modigliani. My personal highlights are Balla’s “Abstract Speed + Sound” (in the kitchen) and “Mercury Passing Before the Sun,” Magritte’s “Empire of Light” (in the large room), Pollock’s “Alchemy” (in the guest bedroom), and Boccioni’s “Dynamism of a Cyclist.” (Last visited 03/2005)

Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum – Jakarta, Indonesia

The brainchild of Madam Tien Soeharto, the late Indonesian first lady, Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum houses more than 10,000 gifts from the 33 years of President Soeharto's rule. This museum is located outside Jakarta, so don’t go if you don’t have a particular interest in seeing what a man can amass in more than 30 years of power.

Outside: Hosted on the land that belonged to Soeharto family, the museum is the largest in Indonesia. The museum resembles a tumpeng (rice cone), which is the centerpiece of Javanese ceremonial banquets and which symbolizes gratitude, welfare and eternity. Nine small tumpengs surround the large one. The museum is adjacent to Taman Mini Indonesia, an amusement park with full-scale reproductions of traditional Indonesian houses. Outside the museum, one can see a big villa now closed (Soeharto was planning to live here, but the government did not allow him), a garden with all sorts of fruit trees, a pond for fishing, the Indonesia warship that served during the 1963 mission of liberating Irian Jaya, three old Soeharto’s cars and one Harley Davidson.

Inside: The inside main hall is huge, on three level and can host 100,000 people. When I visited, I was the only visitor! Amongst hundred of paintings, artifacts, and art objects from all over the world, one highlight is a Chinese princess's jade bed. It is pure cult of personality! (Last visited 12/2005)

National History Museum – Jakarta, Indonesia

In the base of the National Monument or Monas (a 132m-high column towering over Merdeka Square and dubbed “Soekarno’s final erection”), the National History Museum is a diorama exhibit hosted in a windowless hall in decrepit conditions. In early 2009 the mayor of Central Jakarta asked to take over the management of the monument to improve its conditions.

Outside: This extravagant monument is Jakarta’s primary landmark, a symbol of Indonesia’s independence and strength, erected in 1961. The monument was not opened until 1975, when it was inaugurated by Soeharto. The column is topped with a sculpted flame, gilded with 35kg of gold leaf. The highlight of the visit is to take the lift to the top for dramatic and smoggy views of Jakarta.

Inside: The museum consists of 48 diorama windows illustrating Indonesian history, an attempt to reinvent the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural history of the thousands Indonesian islands as a nationalistic struggle for unity that had been ongoing since the Bronze age. The numerous uprisings against external invaders are overstated, Soekarno is barely mentioned, and the 1965 coup is whitewashed. But this museum is part of the cultural history of the country, hence worth visiting. (Last visited 12/2005)

Museum Nasional Indonesia – Jakarta, Indonesia

The Museum Nasional is an excellent opportunity to familiarize yourself with the vast and diverse culture of the many Indonesian islands. Although it is the best museum in Indonesia and one of the finest in Southeast Asia, its enormous collection of cultural and art objects is exhibited in the 1800-style, with many objects cramped in big window closets, most with no dates or information. The majority of the sculptures have no signs. For these reasons, I strongly recommend to join a guided tour to get a better understanding of the history and art of Indonesia (guided tour in English only Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9:30 am and last Sunday of every month at 10:30 am).

Outside: In 1778, a group of Dutch intellectuals established a scientific institution to promote research in the field of arts and sciences. One of the founders donated a building and a collection of objects and books, which was the start of the museum and library. In 1862 the Dutch East Indian government decided to build a new museum. The Museum was officially opened in 1868 and became known as Gedung Gajah (Elephant House), due to the bronze elephant statue in the front yard donated by the Thai King. The building was also called Gedung Arca (House of Statues), due to its vast collection of statues on display. In 1962, the museum was handed over to the Indonesian government. Since 1979 it has been called Museum Nasional.
Inside: The museum displays historical artifacts of Indonesian culture that date as far back as the Stone Age. The museum has an excellent collection of Chinese ceramics dating back to the Han, Tang and Ming Dynasties, as well as bronze and gold collections from the Indonesian classical period. The collection of statues, mainly Hindu gods and goddesses, is also impressive. The most fascinating room is the Treasure Room (and also the only one with air-conditioning!), a collection of imperial gold and silver objects, adorned with precious stones. Don’t miss the statue of the goddess of transcendental wisdom Prajnaparamita, adorned with of jewels from head to toes. The textile section is also unique, with its old batik and Indonesian garments. A batik is a hand-made drawing on white cotton or silk with hot wax, which resists dye. After dyeing, the wax is removed, showing the pattern of the undyed areas. This process is repeated with as many as five colors until the desired pattern is achieved. (Last visited 12/2005)

Segantini Museum - St. Moritz, Switzerland

Most likely you did not come to St. Moritz for the art. However, it would be a big mistake missing the Segantini Museum St. Moritz. In between a ski day at the Corviglia and a pizza at Chesa Veglia, you should find the time to relax in this intimate museum hosting the work of Giovanni Segantini, the finest painter of the Swiss mountains. Born in 1858 in North Italy, the artist moved to Switzerland in 1886, first settling in Savognin, and eight years later moving to Maloja, at the top of the Engadin valley. His early works, produced in Milan and Brianza, still owed something to the traditional style of painting in Lombardy, more realistic, if not a bit gloomy. On moving to the Swiss Alps, the artist developed a style exuding radiance and color. He exerted an important influence on the development of Italian Divisionism. The Divisionism technique - fine parallel brush strokes of pure color - was his definitive contribution to the avant-garde art at the time - and the secret of the brilliant luminosity in his paintings. Unfortunately, the master died young, at the age of 41 from peritonitis: he was on the mountains above Pontresina, working to finish “Nature,” the central picture of his Alpine Triptych, which can be admired here.

Outside: The museum opened in 1908, only nine years after the death of Segantini. The building by architect Nicolaus Hartmann is almost hidden on the side of the road that connects Suvretta with St. Moritz. The stone building, that resembles a church due to its large cupola, was constructed along the lines of the pavilion Segantini had planned for his Engadin Panorama for the 1900 Paris World Exhibition. The Segantini Museum was renovated and extended in 1998-9 by architect Hans-Jörg Ruch.

Inside: The central attraction of the museum is the Alpine Triptych “Life, Nature, Death.” It is shown on the top floor under the dome. But before going upstairs, enjoy your time with the other paintings of Segantini. It is a way to get acquaintance with the artist’s style. Admire the clam and warm sunset in “Ave Maria a Trasbordo,” the bright blue sky of the Swiss Alps in “Noon in the Alps,” or the amazing Divisionist light of “Return from the Woods.” There are 12 paintings from the collection of the textile industrialist of St. Gallen Otto Fischbacher. The emphasis is on the Savognin period (1886-1894), from which there are six paintings on show.
Then, walk the stairs to the upper level into the domed room lit by a row of round windows. Here, take a seat on the bench to absorb the atmosphere and meditate in front of the Alpine Triptych. The three large paintings portray the life cycle – the beginning (“Life”), life (“Nature”), and end (“Death”) – in harmony with nature, throughout three seasons. With these three large canvases (“Nature” is bigger) Segantini reached the highest point of his Divisionist style. I always get lost in them; I feel in unison with nature, as Segantini did. You cannot miss the best painter of the beautiful landscapes that surround you in the Engadin. (Last visited 02/2000)

Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien (MUMOK) – Vienna, Austria

I have to be frank. I did not enjoy MUMOK. The building is quite cool, a different heavy block of stone in an era of transparency and steel glass. But the collection’s main focus is collages, visual and acoustic materials from the 1960s movements of Fluxus and Viennese Actionism. Not my favorites! In particular, I don’t like the Viennese Actionism, considered the most important Austrian contribution to international avantgarde in the 60s. The artists turned to working directly with real bodies, objects and substances. The outcome is a collection of bloody and disgusting body parts, revolting photos, disturbing videos, which in my opinion escape any esthetic meaning. This exhibit really turned me off.
Outside: Built by the Viennese architect studio Ortner & Ortner in 2001, from the outside the building appears like a dark monolithic block of grey basalt lava. Its roof curves down on the edges. It is very different from everything else in the square. It is cool! A wide outdoor stairway leads to the entrance terrace.

Inside: The large entrance hall is at mid-level. The various levels are connected by footbridges. The upper level receives natural light through a large opening in the curved ceiling. The other slit windows and the panorama window in the uppermost floor give visitors a view to the outside. I have to say that the building is the best part of the museum.
The Classical Modernism includes some good works but it is quite limited, not being the focus of the museum. You can find Expressionism, Cubism and Futurism (Henri Laurens, Giacomo Balla), Bauhaus, Dada and Surrealism (Duchamp, Ernst, Magritte). There are also works by Picasso, Giacometti, Mondrian, Klee, Bacon, Pollock, Fontana, and Piero Manzoni. There is a bit of Pop Art (Andy Warhol’s “Orange Car Crash,” and my favorite Robert Indiana’s “Love Rising - Black and White Love. For Martin Luther King”). And there is Lichtenstein, and Oldenburg.
But the core of the permanent collection is the Fluxus movement and the Viennese Actionism. I already said something above about the latter. Fluxus is an art genre, which came into being in 1962 and was particularly influenced by artists such as Joseph Beuys, Nam June Paik, George Maciunas, George Brecht and Dick Higgins. Their work is often collage-like composition of event sequencing, also called 'concerts' because acoustic, choreographic and musical forms of expression flow together in it. Nam June Paik’s “Klavier Integral,” a piano with several objects pasted to it, is a classical piece of Fluxus art. It is still worth dropping by to check temporary exhibits, but I would not say this is the one of the main attractions in Vienna.
(Last visited 05/2008)

Jewish Museum – Berlin, Germany

The Jewish Museum Berlin is one of the most spectacular museum buildings in Germany. Located in Western Krenzberg, architect Daniel Libeskind's new building is a deconstructivist masterpiece. If you are in Berlin, you have to see and experience this building. The museum has a lovely restaurant with international Jewish specialties. It is also the place for a quick snack or a coffee break with homemade cake and cookies after a museum visit. During the summer the beautiful vast garden is an oasis of peace.

Outside: Daniel Libeskind’s building makes the visit a physical experience. Zig-zag best describes the form of the museum. The first line is a winding one with several kinks while the second line cuts through the whole building. At the intersections of these lines are empty spaces – “Voids” – which rise vertically from the ground floor of the building up to the roof. It is like an exploded tri-dimensional Star of David, coated in zinc, with sharp angles and narrow slits as windows. It is impossible to guess the building’s interior from the outside. It opened in fall 2001.

Inside: As you come in, you have to go downstairs, in a metaphoric immersion in the Jewish history. In the underground three white corridors intersect. The first and longest of these axes is the “Axis of Continuity.” The architect describes the “Axis of Continuity” as the continuation of Berlin's history, the connecting path from which the other axes branch off. The “Axis of Emigration” leads outside to the Garden of Exile (49 concrete stelae rise on a square plot, which is on a 12° gradient giving a sense of instability). The “Axis of the Holocaust” is a dead end. It becomes narrower and darker and leads through a heavy, black steel door into the Holocaust Tower, a bare concrete empty tower 24 meters high, neither heated nor insulated. It is lit by a single narrow slit high above the ground. The distress and emptiness of the Tower commemorates the victims of the Holocaust. It is a physical experience with intense emotional impact.From the basement a long staircase, which ends against a bare white wall, leads to the permanent exhibition, an excursus of Jewish-German history since the Diaspora, through Middle Age, until our days. The exhibit is very creative, interactive, and informative. For those interested in Jewish history, it is a unique museum. For everybody else, you will learn a lot and have a profound physical experience, thanks to the architectural masterpiece. (Last visited 11/2008)