EUROPE (NORTH)
Austria
Kunsthaus, Graz – The stellar (and most controversial) work in this museum of contemporary art is the building itself, by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier
Museum der Moderne, Salzburg – Opened in 2004, it features 3,000 square metres of exhibition space for thematic exhibitions of art of the 20th and 21st centuries
Belgium
S.M.A.K. Museum of Contemporary Art, Gent – The best collection of contemporary Art in Belgium, with works of Karel Appel and Valerio Adami
Musee d’Art moderne et d’Art contemporain (MAMAC), Liege – Features works by Gauguin, Picasso and Kokoscha, among others
Denmark
Arken Museum of Modern Art, Copenhagen – A contemporary building by architect Soren Robert Lund, exhibits works by modern Danish and International artists
North Jutland Museum of Art, Aalborg – The permanent exhibit includes mostly works by local artists, but also by Ernst, Léger or Constant, among others
Louisiana Museum of Art, Humlebaek – Its collection takes its point of departure in the period after 1945, with names like Picasso, Giacometti, Warhol or Baselitz
Finland
Kiasma Museum of contemporary Art, Helsinki – Opened in 1998, it’s Finland’s National Museum of contemporary Art, housed in a building by Steven Holl
France
Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris – France’s national museum for modern and contemporary Art, housed in an important contemporary building by Rogers and Renzo Piano
Musee d’Unterlinden, Colmar – Housed in a former convent dating back to the 13th century, exhibits an important group of paintings and sculptures from the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, but also impressionist and contemporary art
Germany
Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin – This important building by Mies van der Rohe houses an important collection of modern and contemporary Art
Kunstmuseum, Bonn – A very good collection of contemporary Art, with works by Max Ernst, August Macke and Sigmar Polke, among others
Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart – A complete collection of European 14th to 20th century art, including Cézanne’s “Bathers”, and American avant-garde after 1945
Ireland
Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin – This Museum of contemporary Art is housed in a 17th century building, and concentrates in works by living artists
Liechtenstein
Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Vaduz – Opened in 2000, this museum houses a good collection of modern and contemporary Art, and some works from the collection of the Prince of Liechtenstein
Netherlands
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam – Houses the national collection of modern and contemporary Art, with works by Mondrian, Appel and Malevich, among others
Groningen Museum, Groningen – This controversial building by Coop Himmelblau houses the most innovative Art collection in Netherlands, and one of the most exciting museums in Europe
Poland
Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw – With frequent exhibitions, the CCA is the most important collection of contemporary art in Warsaw
Russia
Museum of Modern Art, Moscow – This recent Museum (opened in 1999) exhibits works by modern and contemporary artists, including Picasso, Lèger and Malevich
Slovakia
City Gallery, Bratislava – Focused on Slovakian Art from the 20th and 21st centuries, it also exhibits a group of European old masters
Sweden
Moderna Museet, Stockholm – State Museum for modern and contemporary Art, exhibiting works by Picasso, Dalí and Calder, among others
Goteborgs Konsthall, Gothenburg – Göteborgs Konsthall holds an interesting collection of contemporary art in a classicistic building from 1923
Switzerland
Beyeler Foundation, Basel – This small but rich museum exhibits the art collection of Hildy and Ernst Beyeler, with works by van Gogh, Monet, Cézanne, Picasso, Bacon and Warhol, among others
Musee d’art moderne et contemporain (MAMCO), Geneva – Includes works by artists such as Christo and Gordon Matta-Clark
United Kingdom
Tate Modern, London – arguably the most important collection of modern and contemporary Art in Europe. It houses works of artists such as Lichstentein, Pollock or Francis Bacon
The Hayward Gallery, London – One of London’s most important spaces for displaying contemporary art, housed in a ‘brutalist’ building
Institute of Contemporary Arts, London – The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) is the UK’s original, not-for-profit, multi-disciplinary arts centre
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool – Houses a large and important group of European paintings from 14th to 20th centuries, including works by Renoir and Bacon
Tate Liverpool – Established in 1988, it’s one of the most important collections of contemporary Art in the U.K., including an important triptych by Francis Bacon
Tate St. Ives – Exhibits works by modern British artists, including work of the St Ives School. The building was designed by architects Evans and Shalev
Gallery of modern Art (GOMA), Glasgow – The most important Museum in Glasgow houses temporary exhibitions and workshops in a 18th century building
EUROPE (SOUTH)
Croatia
Mimara Museum, Zagreb – A quite complete Museum of Art, with works from the Prehistoric period to contemporary Art.
Greece
State Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki – Founded in 1997, is one of the most prominent foundations exhibiting modern and contemporary art in Greece
Italy
MACRO – Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Roma, Rome – The most important space devoted to contemporary art in Rome
Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice – Arguably the best collection of modern and contemporary art in Italy, includes works by Picasso, Rothko or Pollock
Museo Ca’ Pesaro, Venice – An important collection of modern Art, this museum exhibits works by Matisse, Klee or Moore
Portugal
Serralves Foundation Museum of Contemporary Art, Porto – An interesting collection of contemporary art, including works by Sigmar Polke or Matta-Clark
Serbia
Museum of contemporary Art, Belgrade – Established in 1958, this gallery exhibits more than 30,000 contemporary works, mostly by Serbian artists
Spain
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid – Spain’s national Museum of modern and contemporary Art, well known for exhibiting Picasso’s masterpiece, “Guernica”
Museo de Arte contemporáneo de Barcelona (MACBA), Barcelona – a quite recent collection of contemporary Art exhibited in a famous building by Richard Meier
Fundació Miró, Barcelona – the best collection of works by Joan Miró in the world, also housing interesting exhibitions of contemporary Art
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao – A good collection of contemporary Art, housed in a building by Frank Gehry. The most famous piece is “Puppy”, a sculpture of a dog by Jeff Koons
Centro Galego de Arte Contemporanea, Santiago – It is the most important collection of contemporary art in Galicia
Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno (IVAM), Valencia – An interesting collection of contemporary Art, including important sculptures by Chillida and Julio González
NORTH AMERICA
Canada
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa – Exhibits one of the greatest collections of paintings in North America, with works by Van Gogh, Cezanne, Picasso and Pollock
Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver – This dynamic and original Museum exhibits a large group of contemporary Art in a beautiful Neoclassical building
United States
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York – Arguably America’s greatest museum. Its spectacular collection of contemporary art includes ‘Autumn rhythm’ by Jackson Pollock.
The Museum of modern Art (MOMA), New York – Houses the world’s best collection of modern and contemporary Art, featuring masterworks as Picasso’s Demoiselles d’Avignon
Guggenheim Museum, New York – Designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The Guggenheim Fundation has also important galleries in Bilbao, Venice, Berlin and Las Vegas.
Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York – Houses an extensive collection of Art, including works by artists such as Hans Hofmann
Withney Collection of American Art, New York – Houses more than 18,000 American works by American artists, including Hopper, Pollock and de Kooning
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston – one of the oldest and most respected Art institutions of North America. It exhibits works by Joseph Beuys and Takashi Murakami, among others
National Gallery of Art, Washington – features a complete collection of painting from the 13th to the 20th century. Includes works by Pollock (“Lavender Mist”) or Ruscha
Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo – Opened in 1901, exhibits a good collection of European and American Art, with works by Willem de Kooning
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia – One of the greatest Museums in North America, with a great collection of contemporary Art, including works by Cy Twombly and Jasper Johns
The Art Institute of Chicago – houses one of the most outstanding Art collections of the United States, featuring masterpieces by Andy Warhol and Willem de Kooning
Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland – One of the most complete art collections in America, from antiquities to modern masterpieces, with works by Pollock and Warhol
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis – Focused in modern and contemporary Art, includes works by Picasso, Moore and Warhol
Dallas Art Museum, Dallas – Exhibits a good collection of contemporary painting, including works by abstact expressionists like Rothko, Pollock or Kline
Denver Art Museum, Denver – Focused in American Art, this Museum also exhibits a good collection of contemporary Art, with works by Motherwell and Warhol
Menil Collection, Houston – This museum, designed by Renzo Piano, houses a great collection of contemporary Art, from Picasso to Cy Twombly
Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), San Francisco – Its collection of modern and contemporary painting includes works by Matisse, Diebenkorn and Jasper Johns
Seattle Art Museum, Seattle – The collections of this Museum have drastically grown in the last decades, and now include contemporary works by Andy Warhol or Richard Serra
SOUTH AMERICA
Argentina
MALBA, Fundación Constantini, Buenos Aires – One of the most important collections of contemporary Latin-American art in the world
Brazil
Sao Paulo Museum of Art, Sao Paulo – The greatest Art collection in South America, this Museum exhibits a selection of paintings, with works by Picasso and other modern masters
Museu de Arte Contemporanea da Universidade, Sao Paulo – It is arguably the most important collection of contemporary art in South America, including works by Picasso or Léger
Venezuela
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Caracas – The Museum was founded in 1974, and exhibit more than 3,000 works of contemporary art. In the last few years, it has gone through various difficulties that have raised fears for its future.
AFRICA
South Africa
Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg – Arguably the best collection of European paintings in Africa, with works by Picasso and other modern masters
Zimbabwe
National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare – Zimbabwe’s National Museum, exhibit a collection of artifacts from the country’s heritage, as well as contemporary Art
ASIA
Iran
Museum of Contemporary Art, Teheran – Houses the best collection of European paintings in Middle East, including works by Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso and Warhol
Israel
Museum of Art, Tel Aviv – Established in 1932, houses the best collection of Western Art in Israel, including works by Tanguy and Matta
Japan
Museum of Western Art, Tokyo – Exhibits a great collection of European paintings, from old masters to modern Art (Monet, Picasso, Pollock…)
National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo – Open in 1952, this gallery houses a nice collection of contemporary paintings, as well as modern ceramics and textiles
National Museum of Art, Osaka – This subterranean Museum exhibits a good collection of contemporary paintings, and a small group of Impressionist and modern works
Singapore
Singapore Art Museum – The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is a stellar collection of contemporary Southeast Asian art in a beautiful 19th century building
AUSTRALIA AND OCEANIA
Australia
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra – The most important Art Museum in Australia, exhibiting a large and good group of paintings, including Jackson Pollock’s masterpiece “Blue Poles”
Museum of contemporary Art, Sydney – This Museum, opened in 1991, is one of the most important contemporary art collections in Australia
Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane – Exhibits a very good collection of Aboriginal Art, as well as Asian Art and contemporary Australian Art
Queensland Gallery of contemporary Art, Brisbane – Part of the Queensland Art Gallery, it houses one of the best collections of contemporary Art in Australia
New Zealand
Adam Art Gallery – Te Pataka Toi, Wellington – An interesting collection of modern and contemporary New Zealand art
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