Diary of a Culture Hedonist

I had the most amazing afternoon. Went to an intimate viewing (I was one of six) of a Canaletto (still held in private hands) in a gorgeous monastery next to Salute, in a room where Canaletto had painted the painting. Complete with an armed security guard who explained to us the intricate details of the painting, and allowed us to be within touching distance. And at the end of the viewing, we had the pleasure of taking a cup of coffee or refreshing drink in a delightful salon. That was a "once in a lifetime" experience.

The New Department of Islamic Art was only opened on the 22 Sept 2012. As I was in Paris, this had to be a must stop! And I was not disappointed. As more and more museums around the world re trying to raise the profile of this great culture, none was more bold than this at the Louvre - a new wing, exciting architecture and superb curatorship. One of the most amazing pieces of art on display was the mosaic from the Damascus Mosque in Syria. The colours are so vivid and exiting, yet the abstract quality (when looked at up close) almost pointed to impressionist art that was yet to come. The curves, lines, motifs and chiaroscuro were just enchanting. There were a wealth of display of ceramic, tiles, mosaics etc., and one needed at least a couple of hours to give the exhibits justice. Do go!

The Helena Rubinstein wing of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art had a lovely garden outside (a bit like Musée Branly in Paris) that softens the straight architectural lines. I was able to see quite a few temporary exhibitions of Israeli contemporary artists. Though it was a small space, the works were well curated and lit - with helpful staff. In fact, one of the artists-in-residence was giving a guided tour when I was there. But the main museum 10 minutes away couldn't be more different. It's a large space (actually a new wing was opening the following day after my visit) housing some impressionist / post-impressionist works by the usual French artists. There was also a big collection of contemporary works by more established artists. Alas there were no floor plans or highlight guide - so one had to walk through the entire museum to discover items of interest: great if one has the time, not so helpful if one only had an hour or so. Still it was worth the visit.

The Neues Museum was the cultural highlight of my visit to Berlin. Freshly opened this month after extensive work by David Chipperfield. Never have I seen such sympathetic yet ingenious renovation work at a museum. The layout and flow was kept largely intact. The key exhibitions spaces continued with their clever framing (Egyptian antiquities had frescoes and colour palette that matched the exhibits, likewise for Roman antiquities). Yet the finishing touches were of a very high quality - from new brick work (see below) through to the perfectly aligned internal cladding and door fittings. Naturally, the architectural setting complimented the significant exhibits - such as the beautiful and life like bust of Nefertiti or the alter of King Akhenaten (strangely Philip Glass's opera of the same name sprang to mind).

Jacque Chirac opened  musée du quai Branly during the final few months of this presidency. The museum definitely lives up to its aspiration for presenting the arts from Africa, Asia, Americas and other countries justly. The architecture of the museum adopts a more recent trend of directed flow where visitors are guided by undulating slopes, colour codes and shapely walls as amazing arts and artefacts of these under-represented cultures are revealed. The exterior of the museum is also very impressive: the carefully landscaped garden brings much humanity to the sympathetic museum building.

It's billed as a major exhibition. The latest Gilbert & George show at the Tate Modern certainly has pulling power. It really is a retrospective exhibition of the artists / personalities / brands of Gilbert & George. It is fascinating to see how their identity evolved with the times, events and people around them, yet being able to maintain a high degree of "brand consistency" - brand managers around the world have plenty to learn from them. The best part of the exhibition was the works that explored and communicated death, life and hope (Rooms 12 onwards). There was something very touching about these frank and direct collage of images and shapes.

A fairly recent phenomenon - the Frieze Art Fair in Regent's Park brought the best of contemporary art to London in mid Autumn. The big name galleries were all present - though in much smaller scale compared to Art Basel. Good presentation of what's out there - though there weren't any new or exciting direction. Apparently, it costs around US$100,000 to put a show up if you are not locally based.

One can certainly Over Do art in Vienna. The beauty of the Liechtenstein Museum is its fine collection of paintings and architectural features within a manageable space. The building had been lovingly refurbished while the art works and exhibits were beautifully presented. Like Galleria Borghese in Rome, one can spend a leisurely morning strolling through the library and rooms without feeling pressured (unlike Musée du Louvre ). If you have time, enjoy a cup of cafe melange in the court yard.

It used to be a boring old building with lame exhibits, but the newly refurbished Asian Civilisation Museum at Empress Place is quite impressive. It's permanent collection contains a good selection of cultural relics from across South East Asia - with equally strong and balanced representation of Chinese, Islam and Buddhist exhibits. Also it provides the visitors the chance to wonder through a colonial administration building. And it was a joy to see ERCO lighting throughout the museum!

"It's a 15 minute taxi ride from Basel in Switzerland to the Vitra Design Museum in Germany" said the hotel concierge to me. I rushed back to my room, got my passport and took off (in a taxi) with my friends to this famous design museum. I sit on a Vitra chair every day (.03) so naturally I'd quite like to visit its birthplace. It is located in the middle of nowhere (Weil am Rhein) on ... wait for this ... No 1 Charles-Eames-Strasse!!! I normally object to the idea of a guided tour but in this instance, it's worth it because I was taken to see the buildings designed by Gehry, Grimshaw and Hadid. The latter was amazing - as Hadid designed this angular slightly deconstructed "Fire Station" that is now a function facility. Visitors on this tour could roam freely inside this building - check out the funky locker room or the masculine breakfast table on the first floor.

It's such a short hop from London (just over an hour by plane) to Art Basel where I saw, a very high concentration of contemporary art galleries, works and displays. Since it's a trade show, you can actually buy stuff from the exhibitors. I was very drawn towards the Fontana and Manzoni works (it seems all established Italian contemporary art dealers must have at least one for sale). Of course, if I had the money, I would have picked up a few dozen pieces ... alas ... may be by December 06 in Miami

What is it? Ever wondered what the word "Modern" really means (in the context of design and culture), pop down to the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington. The current exhibition "Modernism 1914-1939" gives quite a broad and fascinating look at the whole moment then. What was memorable? An early London Underground map and one of the first fitted kitchens.