This post will be a little different from the others where I enthusiastically tell you about museums of contemporary art. I won’t limit myself with providing information only, I want to encourage to visit the museum we’re going to talk about. It’s the Berardo Collection Museum.
It’s a complete must for all tourists, even if your day is full with historical themes of Lisbon like Alfama, National Pantheon of Lisbon, etc, be sure to find time for this museum as well. The collection was wanted worldwide, mainly by Paris and Miami. But the Portuguese government decided to keep the treasure at home in Lisbon. The collection is now hosted in Belem Cultural Center, a small gift from the government. Truly, I think it’s one of the best things Portugal has done in the sphere of art. The pieces are fantastic and it would be heartbreaking to see them leave the country on the plane.
Berardo Museum is quite new. It was opened in 2007 and immediately hit all newspapers and positive reviews. The whole collection is donated by Portuguese businessman and art collector Joe Berardo. This person alone possesses an art stock of nearly 4000 pieces. Can you imagine the amount? Nearly 3-4 decent museums all together, that’s how much Berardo likes to collect art. Despite the numbers, the exhibits are almost always comprised of 250 artworks that cover two floors of the museum. These 250 rotate from time to time. Temporary exhibitions especially add to the value of the museum.
If you think contemporary art is boring, here is a very short list of movements that are represented in the collection: abstract expressionism, action painting, constructivism, cubism, experimental art, neo-expressionism, neo-Realism, photography, photorealism, pop art, realism, surrealism, and so on.
Now, can you picture the diversity of the collection? You’ll definitely find a few pieces you will fall in love with. The list of represented artists includes Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian, Roy Lichtenstein, Jackson Pollock, Jeff Koons, and this is just the beginning.
After going through the displays, take some time to visit the gardens as well. They also display some fabulous works like The Swimmers by Niki de Saint Phalle and Néctar by Joana Vasconcelos, a green structure fully made of wine glasses.
The tour can be concluded by a short visit to the museum shop. Naturally, it’s one of the best places to find a nice souvenir for your artsy friends and get acquainted with different art publications yourself. Maybe you will also want to become a future art collector after this visit.
Finally, let’s talk about the price, only there is not much to talk about here, because the entrance is absolutely free. The staff, however, is eager to help you out with information and explanations. Free admission is an ultimate motivation for adding this place to your check-list. Seeing a Picasso is not always free-of-charge.
As the museum is located in Belem (one of the best districts if Lisbon), you can easily find attraction combinations. Here are a few examples, add the Belem Tower, Belem Palace, Jeronimos Monastery, the Monument of Discoveries, and a dozen of other Belem sites to your tour.
So, did I convince you? If I did, don’t forget to take the camera along. The garden is one of the best places to take pictures in Lisbon.
