Museums Archives ⋆ Page 7 of 34 ⋆ The Passenger

October 4, 2023November 19, 2023

Xalça Muzeyi

Carpet making has a long tradition at Azerbaijan. There are different schools for that and every region has its unique style. To remember that and to built a bridge between the traditional and the new Azerbaijan the new carpet museum (Xalça Muzeyi) has been opened at Bakı in 2014 directly at the shore of the Caspian sea. The architecture of the museum is special as it copies the shape of a rolled-up carpet (or a jelly roll) – a nice idea, but it seems to make presenting the collection of carpets and rugs a bit uneasy.

October 4, 2023November 19, 2023

National art museum

A fantastic collection of art can be found southeast of the İçəri Şəhər of Bakı: the Azərbaycan Milli İncəsənət Muzeyi (national art museum). It was founded in 1936 and contains 17,000 items of which 3,000 are on display in two buildings dating back to the first oil boom in Azerbaijan. And that is already the most important thing you need to know: the museum consists of two buildings that are connected and which you both need to see.

October 1, 2023November 5, 2023

Fine arts

The Georgian Museum of Fine Arts is a modern art museum at თბილისი and it is probably the museum I like most in the capital city of Georgia. Privately owned and located on Rustaveli avenue it houses a massive collection of Georgian art – from artists you probably haven’t heard in western Europe or the rest of the world. That is mostly because these artists created their works mostly during Soviet times and the Iron Curtain prevented them getting known on the other side. A perfect chance to change this!

October 1, 2023November 5, 2023

Georgian national museum

If you like to visit museums at თბილისი there is one place to be: the Shota Rustaveli avenue starting north of Liberty square. A wide boulevard with historic buildings containing the national gallery, the national museum of fine arts and the Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia, which is part of the Georgian national museum complex. It contains a vast collection of archeological and ethnographic artefacts giving insight into the development of the culture, the people and the state of Georgia.

October 1, 2023November 5, 2023

City history

The city history museum of თბილისი can be a nice place for visitors or a disappointment; that’s depending on your expectations. The building with an art nouveau facade dates back to the 19th century and copies the structures of an ancient caravanserai of the Silk Road. It contains the city history museum on the ground floor and a bar, a wine museum and some shops in the basement. I found the building itself to be really beautiful but the museum could really be extended. The city history museum is located on Sioni street next to the Sioni cathedral.

September 9, 2023September 12, 2023

Historisches Museum Saar

If you want to learn about the history of the Saarland then the Historisches Museum Saar, located at the Schlossplatz of Saarbrücken, will leave no questions unanswered. The Saarland is not only the smallest federal state of Germany, it also has a special history: it was created in 1920 caused by the Treaty of Versailles and became a separate state for 15 years under the coordination of the League of Nations.

September 9, 2023September 12, 2023

Little Blue Horse

Kleines Blaues Pferdchen, Saarlandmuseum, Saarbrücken

Franz Marc is the most important German painter working in Expressionism style. His best known works do focus on animals and especially on horses: the Blaues Pferd I can be found at the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus at München, his Turm der blauen Pferde is considered lost since 1945 (after being confiscated as Entartete Kunst by the Nazis and taken by Hermann Göring). But there is another painting showing a blue horse, a cute one: Kleines Blaues Pferdchen has been painted by Franz Marc for Walter, the son of befriended painter August Macke.

August 22, 2023September 8, 2023

Nasjonalmuseet

Close to the Rådhuset of Oslo and next to the Nobel peace price center you can find the wonderful building of the Nasjonalmuseet for kunst, arkitektur og design. A combination of different collections formed in 2003 and exhibited in a brand new museum building opened in 2022. You can learn about Norwegian design and architecture, but most people will go there for the massive collection of paintings by Norwegian and international artists (the Nasjonalgalleriet). It includes works of artists like Matisse, Picasso, van Gogh and Monet.

August 22, 2023September 8, 2023

Kunstsenter

To reach the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter (HOK) you need to leave Oslo and and travel ten kilometres to the city of Høvikodden – an easy travel by bus #160 that you shouldn’t avoid. In a building with great views on the fjord changing exhibitions and art performances take place. The museum was opened in 1968 by shipping company owner Niels Onstad and his wife, Olympic champion Sonja Henie. The collection focusses on modern art and exhibits works of artists like Joseph Beuys or Christo; but the 4,000 works large collection also includes works by Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.

August 22, 2023September 8, 2023

Seafaring island

Norway and Oslo are for sure connected to seafaring. But you don’t need to only think about the Vikings: there have also been polar expeditions starting from there and other crazy adventures with Norwegian participation took place. To learn about this part of Norwegian history you should visit the museum half-peninsula Bygdøy: it hosts three museums in one place; the Frammuseet, Kon-Tiki Museum and the Norsk Maritimt Museum.