We all woke up frighteningly early and Bill decided we needed to take a one hour walk to clear our minds and shake up our discombobulated bodies, so off we went. Turns out to have been a splendid idea as the early morning was the best weather of the day. It was clear and cool - what crazy weather as I figured late June in Europe would be hot, stuffy, and humid. But no - it's actually a bit chilly and I wore a light sweater as we hit the streets. Directly outside our hotel is this outdoor sculpture, a 12 meter high big metal circle known as The Ring, by Mauro Staccioli.
We walked through the small botanical park "Alter Botanischer Garden" across the street, which had an exhibit opening later today of colorful outdoor sculptures.
Bill was excited as Munchner Dom (Munich Cathedral) was open - it had been closed when we were in Munich with Lulu back in January. What an amazing cathedral with gorgeous stained glass windows, enhanced by the sun shining through in the early morning light. The ceiling was way high up and when you said "HELLO" it echoed and echoed and echoed. Oh to hear the magnificent organ play...THAT would have been amazing.
We meandered over to Marienplatz, "St. Mary's Square or Our Lady's Square", the scene of such crazy festivities just a few hours earlier, and it was full of runners about to embark on a 1/2 marathon.
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| Willie pointing to the New City Hall, location of the city government. Built between 1867 - 1908 in the Gothic Revival architecture style, it has Rathaus-Glockenspiel with 43 bells and 32 life size figures. Everyday at 11am (and Noon and 5pm in the summer) it chimes and twirls for 15 minutes! At the very end a tiny golden bird chirps 3 times, marking the end of the spectacle. |
I of course was noticing a Zara Home store in the vicinity ...why don't WE have a Zara Home store in the U.S. ??? I mean I LOVE TJ Maxx Home Goods but variety is the spice of life!!
On our way back for the breakfast buffet, and then a nap!
Later in the day Bill surprised me by taking Willie out to lunch and booking me a guide to take me around to the nearby art museums. My guide Tatiana, was originally from Moscow but she has lived in Munich for 25 years, and has 3 masters and even a PhD in art history - lucky me as she was really fun and interesting. I asked her to show me some contemporary art, so our first stop was the Museum Brandhorst. This building's facade consists of 36,000 ceramic rods in 23 different colors, and is a real eye-catcher.
Then on to the Pinakothek der Moderne which is closed until September 2013 due to construction, but there was a fun outdoor pavilion " Schaustelle" that we climbed up.
Next we visited the recently opened extension of The Lenbachhaus Museum, which showcases artists from the avant-guarde movement known as the expressionist group, Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider). A pre-curser to abstract art, the prominent artists include Franz Marc, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Gabriele Munter. For these artists, "the colors and lines are free and not bound to represent an object accurately..art does not revolve around a free surface but around the soul and the sub-conscience".
Franz Marc 1911, "Blue Horse 1"
Gabriele Munter, 1913, "In the Room"
Wassily Kandinsky
And on the next floor down we entered a room which had all 4 walls painted with the huge scale paintings of NYC artist Sol Lewitt. His paintings are painted not on a canvas, but directly on the wall!
Wall Drawing #1074
And last but not least, the final exhibit we visited was a scaffolding structure with leather, leather belts, galvanized chains, and clamps. The artist Monica Bonvicini titled her work, "Never Again, 2005". The explanation provided for this installation was:
Bonvicini works within the thematic field of architecture and physicality. In the last ten years, she has focused increasingly on the tension of constructed space and sexuality and the issues that result between passivity and activity.
To me, it was just a bunch of fun swings to hang out on!
Bonvicini works within the thematic field of architecture and physicality. In the last ten years, she has focused increasingly on the tension of constructed space and sexuality and the issues that result between passivity and activity.
To me, it was just a bunch of fun swings to hang out on!
Running around Munich art galleries with an art expert by my side offering commentary, exchanging thoughts and reflections, and helping me gain an understanding of what the contemporary art world is all about, was a real treat. Thanks wonderful husband!! xoxoxo
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