Tag Archives: Modern Art

The Secession art gallery

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Sunday, 30-June-2024


Moving on from the St. Charles’s Church, I simply wandered toward the next most interesting looking building – one that looked a little bit like a triumphal arch from a distance, but with an interesting sphere attached to the top, maybe? It actually took me a little bit to navigate my way over to it – the day was getting hot, and the building in my sights was somehow across multiple lanes of traffic, in a strange spot that seemed to vanish every so often.



Suddenly, after getting caught on the wrong side of a pathway, I turned a corner and found myself at the building I’d been searching for. Up close it wasn’t quite an arch, but it did have that vaguely Greco-Roman styling to it that I enjoy. I read the sign, and headed in.

The Secession Art Gallery.

I had high hopes, going into the gallery. A name like that, a building like this, it boded well!



Unfortunately, the gallery inside the museum didn’t quite live up to my hopes. It was a small modern art museum, mainly populated by art that requires a bit more context that I have… I looked for signage to help me understand, but I was unfortunately left a bit flabbergasted throughout. I mean, okay. I totally get that I miss the point of art that requires a Masters to understand, but… they’re painted iPhone cases. Finger-painted iPhone cases. Bro just had spare cases and paint, and probably convinced a museum to pay thousands of tens of thousands of dollars.

Still, I was diligent and explored all galleries and exhibitions on offer. About 30min later, though, I was leaving the blessed air conditioning and venturing forth back into the sweltering Vienna summer.

The National Gallery of Iceland

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Monday, 20-May-2024


I may have mentioned, but I adore museums. Art museums in particular – I have a long history with museums, and to date my absolute favorite is almost definitely the Museum of Fine Art in Boston.

In Nuuk, I made a point to visit the art museum and ended up making a friend and meeting a whole group thanks to it!

In Reykjavik, I made a point to do the same. Unfortunately, though, the days that I was in Reykjavik were Pentecost Sunday and Whit Monday… two days that most businesses and museums are closed, apparently. Thankfully, though, the Reykjavik modern art museum was still open! I grabbed my bag, put on my walking shoes, and headed out for beautiful art and adventure!

I… didn’t quite find either, frankly.

I’m a bit of an art snob, I freely admit it. I like what I like, and I’m not a fan of what I don’t like. Maybe it’s from growing up visiting the MFA… maybe it’s having quite a few artists in the family… maybe it’s that I have a tendency to date artists, and love learning about their passions… Whatever reason, I am going to freely admit that I wasn’t a fan of the galleries in Iceland’s National Gallery. Or at least the galleries that were open on Whit Monday.

There were three – one of simple geometric patterns, one contrasting developmentally-challenged artists against more traditional artists, and one showing a mix of watercolors and magnets. I came close to liking the magnetic pieces, since magnets are cool, but… still. Personally, I felt that they were all in the vein of “this is art because I am famous and say that it’s art”; which is more a commentary of the artist themselves…

That being said, I still took pictures. So… Peruse, and perhaps your tastes, dear reader, vary enough from mine that you’ll enjoy the views? That’s the best part of art – it’s subjective!