YAYOI KUSAMA HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT AT THE SERRALVES MUSEUM IN PORTO

Porto. A city best known for its “shabby chic” tiled architecture, vertigo-inducing iconic bridges and countless brands of Port wine from the Douro valley is currently also playing host to a fabulous art show by Yayoi Kusama. The local Serralves museum has organized a show called “YAYOI KUSAMA: 1945 TO NOW” that is on display through the end of September.

It was only natural, then, that I took myself and my fortunately very willing friend to see the show during a recent visit to Porto. The start was not for the faint-of-heart. Long lines stretching round the block almost immediately made us question the wisdom of going on a Sunday (especially on a day that was free of charge for local residents), but fortunately, once the museum gates opened, the line moved quickly and within a few minutes we were inside, ready to see Ms. Kusama.

The show, featuring about 160 works, including paintings, drawings, sculptures and installations, covers Kusama’s avant-garde vision from the 1940s through present time, focusing on the different aspects of her interest in interconnection and reflections on natural cycles of regeneration. You will see videos from the artist’s life, her evolving style of painting and her playful installations - from the iconic yellow pumpkins to a profound childlike joy-inducing black and white dotted infinity room (a nice benefit - unlike during the Zwirner show in New York, the wait time here lasts minutes rather than hours! And yes, you will have a lot of fun. We sure did.)

This exhibition is organised by M+, Hong Kong in collaboration with the Serralves Foundation and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, curated by Doryun Chong and Mika Yoshitake, supported by Isabella Tam.

For those who are craving even more contemporary art, Porto offers its Art District centered around the Rue de Miguel Bombarda that is lined with many smaller galleries - from Presenca gallery on one end to the more commercial Tilsitt gallery on the other end. Other great galleries are sprinkled throughout the city, such as the great Nuno Centeno or Lehmann + Silva. Just make sure you time your visit after the summer holiday when many galleries close.

Where to stay? Porto is a very walkable city (well, if you don’t mind the cobble stoned streets and its hilly landscape - this is definitely a sneaker town, leave your heels at home) so pick an accommodation that is centrally located. We stayed at the Pousada do Porto and loved its quiet room right off the major pedestrian zone.

Bem vindo ao Porto!

Expanding the Kusama Experience: Kistefos Museum

If you’re a fan of Kusama’s work, another breathtaking destination to consider is the Kistefos Museum in Norway. Home to the famous Twist building designed by Bjarke Ingels, Kistefos features a vast contemporary art sculpture park where Kusama’s vibrant works are displayed alongside other renowned artists like Anish Kapoor and Olafur Eliasson. Located in the Norwegian woods, Kistefos offers a unique blend of art and nature, creating an experience that's both immersive and tranquil—much like Kusama’s works themselves. For more details on the museum, check out my post on Kistefos Museum here.

FROM LINES TO MATTER, AKA GENTLE GIANTS AT THE KAMPA MUSEUM

Late summers bring me back to Prague and invite exploration of the local cultural offerings. Today, on my stroll through town, I came across a good one: Vojtech Kovarik’s “From Lines to Matter” show at the Kampa museum.

The show, a collection of monumental paintings centers on ancient myths, gods and goddesses that this young artist shows breaking out of their sizable frames and filling the room with their commanding, colorful presence. The ancient myths re-awaken your interest in antique mythology and the artist helps you by providing an ever so brief glimpse of the story you’re seeing on the canvas. The bright, saturated colors pull you in and you find yourself mesmerized, standing in front of these gentle giants enjoying every moment in their company.

The artist studied drawing and painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Ostrava and painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw He won the Critics Prize for Young Painters in 2019 and has been exhibiting extensively abroad since then, building a presence in the international arts market.

The show runs at the Museum Kampa through early September, so if you are in Prague and looking for a late-summer cultural interlude, stop by. I truly enjoyed it.

A CONTEMPORARY EXPERIENCE IN VIENNA

One of my joys is discovering the less well known, contemporary side of places that are more famous for their traditional sights - a modern twist, if you will. Naturally, when I went to Vienna, I had to stay true to that idea. So, let’s venture out to experience this city and its art in a thoroughly contemporary way, shall we?

First stop is hiding in the shadow of one of the best known Viennese monuments - St. Stephan’s church. Just a couple blocks away, you will find the Schwarzwaelder gallery. The first, larger, space is tucked into the third floor of an unassuming old residential building but if you persist and find it (I did, with the help of a friendly local police officer), you will be treated to several rooms filled with distinctly contemporary art. Right now, it is the colorful work of Katharina Grosse titled “Unclarify what Belongs”. I enjoyed the contrasting setting and the bright, bold pieces, and I hope you will, too.

But you’re not done with the gallery yet. No, in fact, if you walk just a block or so, you will find another location, this one on the street level. A smaller venue, for sure, but still showing an interesting piece by Konstanze Stoiber. Just imagine, all that contemporary art within five minutes of the bustling historic centre!

Our next stop is a more recent addition to Vienna’s art scene - the younger sister to the Albertina juggernaut: Albertina Modern. Follow the “ring” from the Opera and within a few minutes and one block detour you will find yourselves at the entrance to the building that houses two venues. Albertina Modern and Kuenstlerhaus. The Albertina ticket will get you access to two shows - the combined graphics and sculpture show of Bruno Gironcoli and Toni Schmale which I thoroughly enjoyed as it makes you appreciate the artists’ imagination and redesign of everyday life. The second show, “The Beauty of Diversity” is more reflective of today’s time and discussions. It’s packed with lots of interesting art, including the works of Cindy Sherman, Amoako Boafo and Sungi Mlengeya whose striking black and white portraits were among my favorites. In short, Albertina Modern is a worthy additional stop on the Viennese art scene.

Another gallery that you may want to add to your list is Galerie Krinzinger that is currently showing the works of Brigitte Kovanz.

Finally, I would be remiss not to mention the big one - Albertina itself. Luckily for you, the gallery has a spectacular retrospective of the pop art master Roy Lichtenstein on the anniversary of his 100th birthday. You can see more than 90 pieces of Lichtenstein’s work. If you like pop art, you should make the trip. You will not regret it. I enjoyed them all - from the iconic faces to shapes, interiors or even the lesser known black and white works.

So, who’s to say Vienna can only offer traditional art and sights?