What's On at Europe's Museums
January 5, 2004
Tribute to Guston
Royal Academy of Modern Art, London
London’s Royal Academy of Modern Art will be celebrating the works of American painter Philip Guston (1913-1980) with a major retrospective. The exhibition will show 80 works of art by Guston, who began his career with figurative work, switched to Abstract Expressionism for two decades and then returned to figurative painting. Guston is better known for his paintings, which deal critically with themes such as American racism, the Vietnam War and the Nixon era. He built his reputation as a major regenerative force in American art in the 1970s. His later work, charged with social consciousness and cartoonish and candid in approach, will also be on display, including the famous cartoon of a Ku Klux Klan member absorbed in painting.
"The Art of Philip Guston: 1913-80" opens on Jan. 24, 2004 and runs through April 12, 2004. Open daily from 10. a.m. until 6 p.m., Fridays till 10 p.m.
Tickling the palate
Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam
The Allard Pierson archaeological museum in Amsterdam is showing an exhibition on the cuisine gracing the tables of the wealthy in the era of antiquities. With the help of more than 200 objects drawn from various art collections, the show demonstrates what the old Egyptians, Greeks and Romans ate and drank and how delicacies such as blood broth, marinated peacock tongues and stuffed giraffe necks were served. The journey through the daily culinary life over 2,000 years ago shows the forerunners of present day supermarkets as well as a model of an old beer brewery and explains the cultural significance of a decadently sumptuous banquet.
The exhibition "Be Seated! Eating & Drinking in Antiquity" runs through April 18, 2004. Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursdays till 10 p.m.
History of Shipping
German Technology Museum, Berlin
The German Technology Museum in Berlin has put together one of the world’s largest exhibitions dedicated to over 10,000 years of shipping. Two original exhibits form the centerpiece of the show – a ship built in 1901 and another stemming from 1840 -- demonstrating how the vessels could be powered both by wind and steam. Visitors can visit ship building plants as well as simulate setting sail and docking a ship. Further highlights include ship models dating from 6,000 years ago made of different material such as wood, tin, silver, gold and glass. German maritime history is also presented through models ranging from the first Brandenburg Prussian ship to the deployment of German submarines in World War II.
The exhibition "Lifeworld Ship" is open Tuesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., Saturday, Sunday and holidays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Art Deco in Italy
Archaeological Museum, Aosta, Italy
The Art Deco movement of the 1920s, marked by a mix of modern decorative art styles and whose main characteristics were derived from various avant-garde painting styles of the early 20th century, was a true aesthetic revolution. It brought the elegance of form in contact with invaluable material, intense colors and often richly sensual themes. A large exhibition in the northern Italian town of Aosta is now showing 140 works of art from the epoch marked by massive social upheaval, which have been culled from large Italian art collections. The show presents paintings, sculptures, ceramic work, clothes and jewelry by Italian artists such as Giacomo Balla, Guido Andlovitz, Umberto Brunelleschi, Galileo Chini and Marcello Dudovich.
The exhibition runs through April 13, 2004. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.