In this article, we will discuss the most interesting art galleries in the world. Each has its own unique twist and special reason to visit: an unusual location, a huge collection of valuable artwork, an elaborate complex, examples of antiquity or an ultra-modern approach to art. You can find discussions online to help you better understand the art before you visit these iconic places. You can also visit the museums’ websites and expand on the unique collections, we’ve taken care of that. However, this list is the perfect way to start your artistic exploration journey.
List of the most unusual art galleries in the world
MUSA, Museo Subacuático de Arte
The Mexican Underwater Museum in Cancun, called the National Marine Park was created to protect nature. 450 exhibits are submerged in the waters of the Caribbean Sea at a depth of 8 to 10 meters. The extensive collection of sculptures is made of pH-neutral cement which is safe for marine life. The material promotes the growth of coral reefs.
British sculptor Jason de Caires Taylor has placed sculptures at one of the most unusual art galleries:
- “Inertia”;
- “Man on Fire.”
- “Wish Collector.”
- “Silent Evolution,” etc.
Sculptural compositions can be viewed on a boat with a transparent bottom or diving with a scuba diver. A responsible attitude to ecology has drawn visitors from all around the world to this amazing museum.
Galleria degli Uffizi
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy is a world class museum, and it’s one of the oldest in Europe. It was founded in the 16th century, more specifically, in 1581. The rich collection is enjoyed by 1-2.3 million visitors a year. The gallery is the largest in size and covers 13,000 square meters. On the inside, you can expect to see masterpieces by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Rembrandt, Rubens and other geniuses.
These works of art are located in 50 halls, systematized in chronological order. The visitor has the opportunity to observe the evolution of world art over time in one of the world’s best art galleries.
MoMA, Museum of Modern Art
The most prestigious museum of modern art is NYC MoMA. This museum is the benchmark for the coolest international modern art-related institutions. It is recommended to start your acquaintance with paintings and sculptures from the top down:
- the upper floors feature temporary exhibitions of notable works – a variety of modern schools, currents, countries;
- on the 5th floor, there are the works of post-Impressionists and Suprematists – the best art by Cezanne, Kandinsky, Miró, Gauguin, and Rousseau;
- the 4th floor invites aesthetes to enjoy Matisse’s important sculpture Dance, and then appreciate the wealth of artistic thought of the 40s and 70s – expressionism, minimalism, and pop art;
- among others exhibits stands out a room devoted to contemporary architects such as Gaudi, Le Corbusier, Van der Rohe and others – their models, drawings, photographs and furniture are available;
- 2nd floor – temporary exhibitions of our prominent contemporaries;
- an open-air sculpture garden in the building’s atrium during the warmer months;
- two underground floors contain movie theaters, and viewing any movie is already included in the ticket price;
- there’s The Modern restaurant on the grounds, where you can eat a delicious meal and discuss your impressions of the fine art galleries.
Musei Capitolini
In Musei Capitolini, one of the great galleries of art, connoisseurs delve into the past as they view treasures from the ancient world. The Capitoline Museum is the world’s first public art museum, founded in 1471 by Pope Sixtus IV. The museum complex was further expanded in 1566 and officially opened to the public in 1734.
The Capitoline Museums consists of three renowned art galleries united by an underground gallery into a single exhibition complex in the center of Rome.
The halls exhibit unique antique statues, reliefs, sculptural groups, trellises, frescoes, paintings, and applied art works.. There is also a collection of porcelain, mosaics, sarcophagi, and busts, making it an extensively huge collection of artistic forms of expression that have survived from antique.
The Capitol she-wolf feeding Romulus and Remus, Cupid and Psyche, The Dying Gaul, The Boy Pulling out a Splinter are other iconic works on display at the Musei Capitolini.
Tate Britain
The London art museum, founded by Henry Tate in 1897, displays works by Millais, Turner, Lavery, Dudd and other masters. The Tate Gallery is famous for its experimental approach to contemporary art exhibitions.
For example, Martin Creed’s extravagant project under the auspices of the Sotheby’s showed a gallery of neoclassical sculpture from a new angle. Every 30 seconds, a person of the would ran through the gallery; the condition from the artist-actor was one thing: to run as hard as you could, as if the runner’s life depended on it.
The project attracted the attention of visitors, the media and the art community. The auction house and the author of the idea proved that beautiful art galleries are full of life and energy, and that no room will become a forgotten room. Auction houses often sponsor commercial art galleries, appraise works, and help sell and buy art, including online.