It never fails to amaze me how much shopping one can do in this city-state (provided one has the means, obviously). Maybe I’m just getting old, but the mere thought of shoppers thronging the malls on weekends makes me light-headed. Add wailing, howling babies to the picture and I’d lose my sanity in no time. Thank God there’s online shopping.
On the other hand, not many people in this country enjoy going to museums and art galleries. If anything, despite the tip-top conditions of the museums here, few seem to get excited over the ongoing International Museum Day activities compared to the impending Great Singapore Sale. Which could only be a good thing for a demophobic like me :)
Apparently, the International Museum Day has been celebrated all over the world every year around 18 May since 1977 (source: the International Council of Museums). While the outreach events in Singapore this year are mainly targeted at children (the theme is Holiday Fun at Home), I hope to actively take part in at least an activity. Let’s see if I could secure a spot in one of the workshops. Will also take this opportunity to explore some of the museums which I’ve never been to.
In the spirit of the International Museum Day, here are my 5 favourite museums and galleries in the world so far:
- National Portrait Gallery in London
- Mucha Museum in Prague
- Belvedere Gallery in Vienna
- Kunst Haus Wien - Museum Hundertwasser in Vienna
- Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée (Belgian Comic Strip Centre) in Brussels
And why is Musée du Louvre not in my Top 5, you ask? Well darling, it’s undeniably pretty and historic, and I still believe that one has to see the real Mona Lisa at least once in one’s life, but Louvre is also constantly swarmed with tourists! So yeah, besides my affinity for art nouveau, crowd size also explains why off-the-beaten-track museums and galleries dominate my list.
I’m aching to visit many, many more! I especially want to gain access to these before I die:
- Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA in New York
- Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (Has the niftiest exterior I’ve ever seen of a museum. Should’ve totally gone inside when I was in Paris.)
- The State Hermitage in Saint Petersburg
- Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (Was too carried away by the Queen’s Day celebrations when I was in the city. And I haven’t even blogged about the trip yet, sighhhh.)
Being some of the world’s most popular museums*, I know their sheer number of visitors will freak me out. That said, I don’t think I have lived life to the fullest till I’ve sampled their exhibitions. Happy International Museum Day!
*here’s a list of 16 Top Museums of the World compiled by Virgin Vacations
