TravelswithCharie

Walang Iwanan, Elmer Borlongan, 1999 The Pinto Art Museum has a vast collection of Philippine contemporary art and it requires more than a single visit to appreciate all that it has offer.

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Girl with Balloon, 2003, spray paint on metal shelf, 60x90 cm We know Banksy for his iconic street art and the overt political and social commentaries of his artworks. But who knows for certain his true identity? Banksy has carefully guarded his anonymity perhaps because revealing himself will open a Pandora box of legal entanglements.  We’ve seen or are aware of a few of Banksy’s street art in and around his hometown in Bristol. And we’ve heard of the spectacular partial shredding of his painting Girl with a Balloon that was on auction at Sotheby's in 2018. But did you know that Banksy has quite a few indoor works of art? The MOCO in Amsterdam has gathered several of these works on canvas, wood, metal and paper for the  Laugh Now  exhibition which is not authorized by the artist. The artworks on display were loaned to the museum by private collectors and have been certified by Pest Control, the official body that authenticates all works by Banksy.  Girl with Balloon The original,

Assumption of Mary I keep going back to Madrid. I like it so much I was there twice this year. On the second visit, I decided to check out some of the places I hadn't yet seen like the Templo de Debod and the CaixaForum. I wanted to see the statue of Julia in July but didn't have much time then so it was great to see her last November. I was made aware of the crypt of the Almudena Cathedral by local friends. The entrance to the crypt is on Calle Mayor, at the back of the cathedral. A chapel runs the length of the crypt and it is flanked by side altars separated from the apse by a row of columns supporting a vaulted ceiling.  At the back of the crypt and across the central nave from the main altar is this beautiful painting of Mary, Queen of Heaven. There were many people inside the crypt on the feast of the Almudena and the tombs were decorated with beautiful flowers, just like on All Soul's Day. A choir was singing the Almudena hymn which has a beautiful refrain: 

Flaming June by Sir Frederic Leighton Photo courtesy of the Museo de Arte de Ponce, Puerto Rico Picture this. I'm on a small island surrounded by exquisite beaches. But I'm not baking in the sun, I'm in the cool interior of a "museo de arte", gazing admiringly at a bodegon. Where am I? If you answered Puerto Rico, you have already discovered its best kept secrets - its fine arts museums. Here in Santurce, a short bus ride from Old San Juan, is the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (MAPR). It is the home of masterworks by Puerto Rican artists whose legacy spans nearly 500 years. Open since July 2000, the MAPR has amassed a collection of paintings, sculptures, folk art, ceramics, photography and graphic arts, all chronologically exhibited in a classical revival building. José Campeche is one of Puerto Rico's principal painters from the 18th century. His religious canvas, Virgen de la Soledad de la Victoria (1782-89), is a fine example of rococo as are his portrai

St. Henry's Ecumenical Art Chapel Nothing can truly describe the wonder of seeing the Art Chapel for the first time. I was at once drawn to the blinding light at the end of the proverbial tunnel as soon as I entered the chapel. But rather than walk up to the altar, I opted to sit awhile on one of the plain pine pews to slowly take it all in and savor the peace and beauty of my surroundings. I enjoyed precious few minutes of blissful contemplation (as I was the only visitor then) until a couple arrived and the missus asked me to remove my handbag from the bench so she could take a perfect photo of the Chapel. :(  The architect, Matti Sanaksenaho, wanted to incorporate three symbols in his design. One of them is light, in this case, the idea of "the path from darkness to light". The visitor emerges from the shadows at the entrance and is led toward the light at the altar under exquisitely arched Finnish timber. Art Chapel exterior The model for the design of

Untitled, Urs Fischer, 2011 The first thing that struck me about the Bourse Museum is the neo classical aesthetic of both its façade and Rotunda. The vast light-filled Rotunda draws the eyes to the metal and glass dome above and the panoramic fresco, Triumphal France, that surrounds the cupola. Without taking away the architectural integrity of a historical landmark, Tadao Ando restored and renovated the former stock exchange building into a museum for contemporary art for the collection of François Pinault, a French art collector. “The spatial layout of the Bourse de Commerce is designed to create an intense and more subtle dialogue between new and old.” Tadao Ando The wax sculpture by Urs Fischer, a Swiss artist, claims the central position in the Rotunda. It is a replica of The Abduction of Sabine Women by Giambologna. Fischer’s other works surround this sculpture. Even the birds love this museum. Wait a minute, are they for real? Others by Maurizio Cattelan, 2011. (Pigeons) Untitle