Berardo Art Collection in Belem (Lisbon)
 

Lobo Mau recommended the Berardo Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art. I visited this museum last week. It's in the Belem Cultural Center and it's spectacular. After the MOMA in NYC, I think it's the best modern art museums I've ever been in. If you are interested in modern and contemporary art, it's not to be missed. The collection has Portuguese and international works and the organization of the work makes the concepts very accessible.

Even better--it's free through the end of 2007. The staff is very enthusiastic and proud of their collection and there are guided tours. On Friday and Saturday nights during the summer there are performances in the galleries.

It's nice to know you enjoyed the exhibition.
We've been to the MOMA last March and we hope to visit Berardo Collection within 2 weeks.

I visited the museum last month and hope to return, especially at the end of 2008 where there will be a major Picasso exhibition.

(http://www.golisbon.com/sight-seeing...do-museum.html)

Loba and Lobo went there. The best part is the entrance fee :-) The ehxibition itself is worth to see, although the modern art may be a little chalenging for a country boy like me.

Country boy? Yeah, right.

We also visited this new museum in Lisbon three weeks ago. I was not crazy about the design and set-up of the museum, but then again I wasn't crazy about the new building for the Museum of Modern Art in New York either (I just can't bring myself to call it MOMA). Large, austere open spaces with few creature comforts such as benches in the galleries. I had the same feeling about the MACBA (Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona). This must be a trend in museum design that leaves me cold.

The collection was interesting and was apparently accumulated by a private collector, so it reflects some intriguing individual taste. It is organized in a thought-provoking, thematic manner.

There is a nice outdoor space with cafe tables and lots of lawn and benches overlooking the river behind the museum.

Nikki, my all times favourite song is "country road / take me home..."