Moderna Museet
Moderna Museet | |
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Established | 1958 |
Location | Slupskjulsvägen 8, 111 49, Stockholm, Sweden |
Director | Daniel Birnbaum |
Website | www.modernamuseet.se |
Moderna Museet, the Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm, Sweden, is a state museum located on the island of Skeppsholmen in central Stockholm, that was first opened in 1958. Its first manager was Pontus Hultén. On May 2010, Daniel Birnbaum became the new director of the museum. In 2009, Moderna Museet opened a new branch in south of Sweden, in the city of Malmö.
Collection
The museum houses Swedish and international modern and contemporary art, including pieces by Picasso and Salvador Dalí and a model of the Tatlin Tower. The museum's collection includes also key works by artists such as Marcel Duchamp, Louise Bourgeois, Niki de Saint Phalle, Henri Matisse and Robert Rauschenberg, as well as ongoing acquisitions by contemporary artists. In 1993, six works by Picasso and two by Georges Braque totaling more than £40m were stolen from the museum in a renowned coup where the burglars came in through the roof by night, copying the method from the 1955 French movie Rififi (French: Du rififi chez les hommes). Only three of the Picasso paintings have been recovered.
Pontus Hultén Collection
In 2005, former museum director Pontus Hultén bequeathed nearly 800 works of art to Moderna Museet, along with his archive and library. A few works of the collection are on display with the museum's permanent collection; many others are exhibited in the purpose-built Pontus Hultén Study Gallery.
Visiting the permanent collection was originally free of charge, but some of the temporary exhibitions had entrance fees. The fees were reinstated in 2007.
Architecture
Between 1994 and 1998, the museum was temporarily moved while the building in Skeppsholmen was rebuilt by the Spanish architect Rafael Moneo. The Pontus Hultén Study Gallery was designed by Renzo Piano. The museum's restaurant is also famous on its own and popular due to its beautiful location.
Activity
The museum organizes and is a venue for temporary contemporary art exhibitions throughout the year. In 2005, the museum played host to the successful onedotzero festival bringing a new younger audience to the museum with screenings, installations, talks and live VJ audio-visual events.
External links
- Official site - In Swedish and English.
Coordinates: 59°19′35″N 18°05′01″E / 59.32639°N 18.08361°E