I thoroughly enjoy museums, more specifically Art museums I realize how they offer a unique opportunity to connect with moments in times, instances where an artist was privileged and talented enough to define what was worth observing. In a similar way we too are privileged with time to engage in observation and, emotional space to be moved by loveliness, and just enough knowledge to be awed by grandeur.
I was thus taking inventory of some of the world class institution I have had the chance to visit over the years. Here is a list in order, as best as I could recall:
- Kunsthaus Zürich, Switzerland
- Wolverhampton Art Gallery, UK
- Birmingham Museum of Art, UK
- Toledo Museum of Art Museum
- Columbus Museum of Art
- Louvre, France
- Palace of Versailles, France
- Cincinnati Art Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- North Carolina Museum of Art
- Detroit Institute of Arts
- Seattle Art Museum
- Center on Contemporary Art Seattle
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Portland Museum of Art
- Vatican Museum, Italy
- St. Mark’s Museum, Italy
- Musée d'Orsay, France
- Nation Gallery of Art, Washington DC
I feel it is important to note that I am fully aware of the ways that many of these institutions can be problematic, and that many pieces on display or in storage represent stolen pieces of cultures from all across the globe. For example:
Almost 1,000 bronzes were taken after Benin City, in present-day Nigeria, was occupied by imperial troops in 1897, according to the British Museum. About 900 of those artefacts are housed in museums and collections around the world, including the British Museum.
The consistent usage of the word provenance in the western art world is not possible without a deep sense of irony. This is just one example, but there are so many more.
Last update: April 26th, 2025
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