This is a quick day trip to the Hague in search for some indoor activities. The sudden temperature drop makes walking around in negative degrees quite uncomfortable. Frozen toes and fingers.
The metroline connects the Hague to Rotterdam and is convenient to use. Destination is the museum complex of the Gemeentemuseum which consists of the actual Gemeentemuseum, the contemporary museum called GEM and the Fotomuseum for photography. The ticket for all three museums is almost €20 which is really, really expensive, but even buying tickets to only two of the museums is already more expensive than that!
The Fotomuseum is nicely curated and the temporary exhibition of Michael Wolf‘s life work is a definite highlight. Street photography at its finest and also an installation made out of ten thousands of toys as well as photographs of factory workers in China. Some of his work can be viewed on his website as well, so go have a look.
Installation by Michael Wolf
The largest museum is the Gemeentemuseum with different sections and a canopied courtyard in the middle. We are interested in the section about Dutch painter Piet Mondrian and de Stijl art movement, especially to see his last oeuvre, a painting bought for €37 mio called Victory Boogie Woogie. Here it is:
Victory Boogie Woogie by Mondrian – worth €37 mio?
Another interesting section is the one about Parisian Art Deco which displays fashion pieces up to the 1920s. Also the part about porcelain production called Delft Blauw (Delft blue) houses loads of precious porcelain pieces. This one is a modern 3D-printed interpretation of Delft Blauw:
printed porcelain – Delft blue
They also have some Picassos and other things if you are interested. The courtyard with the cozy couches and little café definitely comes in handy after browsing the huge collection.
3D sculpture on white board
Just a note that the interior architecture is amazing and as beautiful as the art presented.
beautiful interior architecture
Skipping over the GEM due to museum fatigue, we do a quick tour through the old town.
cornerhouse
juxtaposition of old and new
Guess which new buildings are called Fountain Pen, The Citrus Press and Tits of the Hague.
new and old
galeries
The Hague is old and new, the city hall is a new building in glass and white, all open space and light. It is by American architect and Pritzker Prize Laureate Richard Meier, the one who also designed the Getty in LA.
city hall in all white and glass
March 3rd 2018