Moderna Museet

- I chose a new template/new look for the blog - some visual spring cleaning so to speak. Maybe it's that Scandinavian design aesthetic filtering in...

A few Sundays ago, Ruby, her Aunt Carola, and I visited the modern art museum in Malmö. Moderna Museet is a state-owned museum in Stockholm, and three years ago in a collaboration with the city of Malmö and Skåne province a subsidiary site of the museum was opened in Malmö in a renovated electricity plant. (To my former colleagues at the DeYoung and Palo Alto Art Center - check out the museum link and be prepared for website envy. I love how aesthetically it's so clean and efficient, and easy to navigate. Very user friendly, even in the English translation!)

The last Sunday in the month is "Family Sunday" and of course, I had to check it out. It's always fun to visit another museum's education programs and experience it as just a happy-go-lucky member of the art-loving public. The program is pretty much the same model as what I've taught at the DeYoung museum in San Francisco. I guess it's the standard these days - a kids tour and related art activity. 

The exhibit was "The Girl, The Monster, and The Goddess," artwork by Niki de Saint Phalle. Our group was small, the tour was short and sweet as it should be, and the art activity was ... a little underwhelming (as far as I understood it "paint a monster of your own creation" was pretty much the only prompt). Still the kids were focused and engaged; who doesn't like smushing and smearing paint around on paper?

One observation that gave me a good chuckle: walking into the workshop I realized the teaching artist was giving an introduction and, although I didn't comprehend a single Swedish word of it, I pretty much understood everything she was saying from having repeated it myself thousands of times over the past 13 years - right down to the part where she raised her hand and wiggled her fingers to explain how we can't touch the artwork because the oils in our fingerprints are damaging. I guess there is an universal mantra spoken by museum kids' docents worldwide. :)

To get a better view of the new facade, visit the link. I like the exterior
design, except that the name of the museum disappears 
once the cafe/giftshop window coverings are opened.

Here's our fearless art educator in action.

Getting up close and personal with the art - except for Ruby hanging 
out at the back.

I had studio envy.

I'm including this because Ruby took this photo of her aunt and 
I thought, "wow, pretty good shot!"

Here's the entrance to the education studio, visible and accessible 
from the adjoining gallery space. I liked that the studio is open 
at all times, even without workshops taking place, so that the 
public can see the ongoing children's projects.

Again with the studio envy! Lots of natural light and feels like a 
working studio space. The industrial clutter on the left is a remnant of 
the electricity plant, a nice reminder of the history of the building.

This is a nice group project on color - note the pixelized portrait
 being referenced on the left. For a better overall view of the project,
scroll up to the previous photo.

Another fun display in the studio, put together with audience 
participation - each thought bubble contains a viewer's speculation
on what is being portrayed in the artwork.

A nice touch to the coatroom lockers - each locker has an artist's 
name on its front and a quote on the inside.