Hello friends, today I’m here to share with you my recent art trip. I visited Serralves, the contemporary art museum in Porto. I had been here before but never had the chance to share my experience. This time I came to see the exhibition of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. I knew Kusama from the Louis Vuitton displays. Both of these projects are very well-known and of course, Kusama's art is quite distinctive. While touring the museum, I not only viewed the artist's works but also learned many things about her and her art that I didn't know before.
To be honest I didn't really like the exhibition. Usually the lighting here is fantastic, but Kusama's works didn't look very impressive under this lighting. Still you can follow the retrospective of her works from the very beginning.
Kusama's art initially developed in Japan. Her home was near a river, which had many white stones. These stones were her first inspiration for her art. She adorned her first pieces with fabric stones. At the museum I saw clothes and furniture pieces that used these stones. Kusama calls this approach accumulation. In some places these stones appear as fabric bags and in others, they appear as gloves. The result is quite impressive.
Of course Kusama's well-known tentacles represent the process of renewal. You may have seen these tentacles in Louis Vuitton displays as well. Another significant event that greatly influenced Kusama's art was her journey from Japan to the USA. The sense of infinity she experienced while flying over the Pacific Ocean frequently appears in her art. Infinite patterns and organic motifs show the impact of this journey. These repetitive elements have negatively affected Kusama's mental health, leading her to undergo rehabilitation processes.
The next stage features the polka dots or spots we know. According to Kusama, these dots represent the sun, the moon, the earth and each person. These dots appear in performance art, applied to naked or semi-naked bodies. They frequently appear in the artist's works.
Kusama's next period is called The Power of Life. During this period, she uses art as a tool for meditation and therapy. And reflections of social events can be seen in her works from this period. Her latest works are called Eternal Soul. In this period, figurative art comes to the forefront. We see faces, characters and scenes among the dots. In my opinion, the works from this period are the most conscious and the most normal.
If this exhibition was the main purpose of my visit, then everything else was a pleasant surprise. One of these pleasant surprises was a small exhibition by Kapwani Kiwanga. Kapwani Kiwanga is a South African woman artist representing Canada at this year's Venice Biennale. Her works consist of very interesting panels decorated with ceramic and thread tassels. The pieces are very vibrant and genuinely embody African character. Recently African art and design have been gaining significant attention.
Next we moved on to an architectural exhibition. Organized by Don Brown the exhibition features works by eight different artists under the name Not Postmodernism. Here, there are mostly sketches, plans and a few models. It is usually challenging to express architectural exhibitions, but the stage design here is truly successful. The exhibition looks quite comprehensible and engaging.
Afterward I encountered an unexpected surprise. The new area, which was still under construction when I was here last year, was completed and the museum's new wing, the Alvaro Siza wing, was opened. I had read that the museum's main project was also by Alvaro Siza. This new wing was built according to his design. This area houses the museum's collection with many interesting pieces. Downstairs there is an exhibition dedicated to Alvaro Siza’s works. Various sketches, plans and models are displayed here. I made many new discoveries about both realized and unrealized projects. For example, I learned that Alvaro Siza had a project for an annex to the Amsterdam city museum. There are numerous models, photographs and sketches that are not widely known. Therefore I noted down a few projects that are definitely worth visiting.
Alvaro Siza's recent projects are being realized in Asia, particularly in South Korea and China. This gives another reason to visit those places.
Meanwhile the exhibition at Serralves has also been renewed. There is usually a rather serious collection of Juan Miró here. This time, however, a collection featuring the equally serious works of Alexander Calder is presented. Calder is a master of optical art to some extent and largely of kinetic art. That is, he creates moving sculptures. A large mobile sculpture is exhibited outdoors in front of the Serralves villa. Inside there are his mobile sculptures and wire works. These pieces harmonize perfectly with Juan Miró's works. This parallelism is presented quite impressively. Abd a few large works by this American artist are displayed in the park as well.
Friends your reasons to come to Porto have increased. The Yayoi Kusama exhibition will continue for a few more months. If you visit here soon, be sure to check it out. As for Alvaro Siza’s works, I highly recommend them. Make sure to visit this exhibition because Siza is an extraordinary master and the intensity of the works displayed here is very high. You will undoubtedly learn a lot.
