Museum of Contemporary Art – MAC/CCB
Modern art museum · Belém ·
Modern and contemporary art spanning 70 styles, 900+ works
Modern and contemporary art spanning 70 styles, 900+ works
"Once located in Sintra, this astonishing 20th-and-21st-century-art collection now wonderfully serves as the main attraction at the massive Centro Cultural de Belém. Showcasing 70 artistic styles across more than 900 works, it comes courtesy of wealthy Portuguese businessman Joe Berardo, who has amassed a jaw-dropping assortment of abstract, surrealist, hyperrealist, minimalist, and Pop art, valued by Christie’s before the move to Belém at €316 million (around $392 million). Among the heavily American and European bent of the collection, must-see pieces include original works by Warhol, Basquiat, Lichtenstein, Hockney, Dalí, and Pollock. This being one of the world’s largest collections of modern and contemporary art, however, surprises lurk at every turn throughout the galleries. Although previously free, the museum now charges asmall fee (except on Saturdays)."
"This art museum in Belém has more than 900 works, from artists like Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, and Jackson Pollock. Admission is free on Saturdays!"
"Next to the Jeronimos Monastery, the Berardo Collection Museum is the showstopper of the Belém Cultural Center. The modern and contemporary artworks on display here all belong to José Manuel Rodrigues Berardo, a billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist. There’s only room to showcase 900 of Berardo’s pieces—by more than 500 artists—and they range from Minimalism and Conceptualism to Cubism and Surrealism. Roy Lichtenstein, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Francis Bacon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cindy Sherman, and Andy Warhol are all impressively represented." - Alia Akkam
"So, what is this place, exactly? Next to the Jeronimos Monastery, the Berardo Collection Museum is the showstopper of the Belém Cultural Center. The modern and contemporary artworks on display here all belong to José Manuel Rodrigues Berardo, a billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist. A showstopper, huh? What are we going to see here? There’s only room to showcase 900 of Berardo’s pieces—by more than 500 artists—and on one floor they span Minimalism, Conceptualism, Post-Minimalism, Land Art, and Arte Povera movements, featuring works by such heavyweights as Nan Goldin, Donald Judd, Anish Kapoor, and Sol LeWitt. Another floor examines the 20th-century emergence of everything from Cubism and Surrealism to Neo-Dadaism and Pop Art. Roy Lichtenstein, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, and Francis Bacon are all impressively represented. Wow—that's quite a spread. Does the museum host exhibits every now and then, too? Temporary exhibitions complement Berardo’s vision. Recent shows have included still-lifes and landscapes by South African photographer Pieter Hugo and everyday objects appropriated by artists like Louise Bourgeois. Excellent; we'll make some time to check those out. What did you make of the crowd? This place is always packed with kids getting a head start on their modern art education. Got it. Is there any place to eat here? If so, what's on offer? The cultural center is home to EsteOeste, which serves bruschetta and burgers along with views of the Tagus, and Topo Belém, serving cod cakes with bean sauce and gin-and-wasabi cocktails. Perfect for a little mid-viewing snack! Is it possible to see everything in just one visit? Yes—but only if you don't linger too long. The number of blockbuster works in one building are too many to name: Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Pater , Cindy Sherman’s c-prints, and Andy Warhol’s silkscreen of Judy Garland, accentuated by his famous Brillo boxes." - Alia Akkam
"I noted the Museum of Contemporary Art as a cultural option in Baixa and Rossio worth seeing while exploring the downtown tourist core." - Matthew Kepnes
