From Start to Finish – Just Superb! –
On my way back from visiting the MACBA I started to walk in the direction of the Picasso Museum. It had been my intention to visit this museum because as a young art student I had been to a London exhibition of Picasso’s sketchbooks. I have always admired Picasso’s technical drawing skills and creativity, so visiting the Picasso museum made sense to me. However as I stopped to look at Google Maps in order to orientate myself I just happened to glance at the building to my right. There was a relatively (could have easily missed) small sign for the Banksy Museum. I wandered in to see if this museum was taking part in the ‘International Museum Day’ that I had just taken advantage of at the MACBA.
The staff at the reception desk said that as it was a private museum then admission wasn’t free. I asked if there was any student discount and duly pulled out my UAL student card. The lady behind the desk explained that yes they did give student discount but only to under 25s. I guess it wasn’t my lucky day. Feeling quite dejected at my clearly aged appearance I asked if they could point me in the direction of the Picasso Museum.
At this point a very helpful young man came up to me and explained that if I was looking for art then, the Picasso Museum probably wasn’t for me – so too the Gaudy museum which I also mentioned. He explained that both the Picasso and the Gaudy Museums were more about how the artists lived as opposed to the art they created. He suggested that I visit the MNAC and many others. He was ‘super’ helpful! As a result I was ‘sold’ – I’d always found Banksy to be somewhat of an enigma and after visiting the MOCO, I was keen to see more of his art.
It certainly was a great decision! I can honestly say that whether you like the work of Banksy or not, the whole museum was an experience from start to finish! Every part of the Museum had been carefully considered and crafted, from the layout of the exhibits, right down to the colour choices, ambience, lighting, tiny little stencil feet on the floor and much more. For me personally, it was the attention to the tiny details that turned the exhibits from simply hung artworks, into a whole experience. Either Banksy has a very strong sense of design, or an extremely talented team working behind the scenes.
Below I have included a snapshot of the Banksy Museum. Of particular note are the wide angled shots showing the juxta position of the artworks. The artworks were placed in such a way that they could be seen from a multitude of angles. It was as if the images were all following you around the room. It was one of the most atmospheric gallery displays that I have ever seen.
A Snapshot of the Banksy Museum
A Stark but Interesting Contrast
Having, only half an hour earlier visited the MACBA, I was particularly struck by the stark contrast between the gallery space of the MACBA with its beautiful light and airy ceilings, against the gritty urban feel of the Banksy Museum. Below are comparison images to help highlight this.
Although I hadn’t realised it at the time this stark contrast led me to really think about how gallery space is designed and how objects are showcased there. Later in the week I revisited this idea of contrast and I thought of an experiment that I really want to try. Currently, I haven’t yet begun the experiment but I will certainly produce a blogpost once I start it.
