The best art cities
Worldwide
Every city has its clique: there are the music nerds, the fashionistas, design and architecture experts, the foodies…wherever you go each one of these passionate creatives will experience a city in its own unique way, and that’s what makes traveling so special!
But this time around, as the art market is currently experiencing a boom in interest, we’ve compiled a list of some of the up and coming cities that have attracted the attention of artists and gallerists alike, and which won’t disappoint visitors making their rounds and losing themselves between a museum, a gallery and an exhibition space.
Editor: Elisa Carassai
Los Angeles
Lights, camera, action. Sprawling landscapes, the desert, never-ending roads, music and the movies…LA LA Land might be known to many as the city of glitz and glam, but it is actually so much more. Whether it’s the latest California gold rush or just an excuse to escape from New York, a certain number of art galleries are flocking to Los Angeles to test out the waters, opening up spaces or partnering with an existing local gallery. Lisson Gallery, Sean Kelly, Carpenters Workshop Gallery, Vito Schnabel Gallery, David Zwirner, Marian Goodman Gallery, Hauser & Wirth, Jessica Silverman, Albertz Benda, and Pace Gallery are a few of the big names who have put roots down in LA and started representing LA-based artists.
Arles
Not far from Marseille, this quaint French hub of bubbling culture has been slowly becoming the point of reference for photography buffs and art aficionados. Hosting Rencontres – one of the most important photography festivals in Europe – which every year draws creatives from all over the world, this once-provincial-capital-of-the ancient-Roman-empire, is also known to be one of Van Gogh’s muses and final resting place, as well as the home of LUMA, an incredible contemporary arts museum housed in a building designed by Frank Gehry. If you manage to go during Rencontres season, there’s so much to see and discover you won’t ever be disappointed – especially as most of the photography exhibits are hosted inside old, classical buildings. So wander around its mystical Roman ruins, stop for lunch at colorful cafè and enjoy a post-dinner pastis while taking in the liveliness of this town.
Copenhagen
In Copenhagen, creativity is everywhere. It comes as no surprise that it has become one of the most exciting European cities, attracting creatives from all over the globe, be it for its now well established kooky fashion scene, thrilling food scene and lovely city life. The art scene instead, might have been a bit overlooked – but new, cool exhibition spaces are popping up across the city showing that art is not just something to be seen in the wide halls of traditional museums – Copenhagen has really stepped up its game in recent years with out-of-the-ordinary exhibition spaces like Copenhagen Contemporary housed in a vast 7.000 m2 former industrial hall on Refshaleøen, the old church Nikolaj Kunsthal and not least the old water reservoirs The Cisterns turned spectacular underground art venue.
If instead you’re looking for a classical or contemporary art dose, Copenhagen is also home to the esteemed and world-reknowned Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and the National Gallery of Denmark, two museums which won’t disappoint.
Tbilisi
Georgia’s capital Tbilisi offers a wide variety of activities for art lovers. Given the cheap rent of many semi-abandoned warehouses around the city, a young generation of artists has been reviving centuries-long ancient culture - priming it for an exploding art scene. The options are many – but the tour of Tbilisi’s art fuelled adventure should probably start at Art Palace, the Georgian State Museum of Theater, Music, Cinema and Choreography; followed by ArtBeat – Georgia’s leading contemporary art space, known for nurturing local talent and introducing the general public to up-and-coming artists; to Dimitri Shevardnadze National Gallery, a small lovely modern art gallery, known for housing paintings and sculptures by famous Georgian artists like Niko Pirosmani, David Kakabadze, Lado Gudiashvili and Iakob Nikoladze; before ending the tour at the nearby Museum of Fine Arts for a sensory overload.
Milano
Milan may be known to many as the city of fashion and design – but over the past few years, this bustling North of Italy capital has attracted – partially due to the presence of big galleries and foundations such as la Triennale, Fondazione Prada, Hangar Bicocca and more – more and more young gallerists and artists, looking to launch their small independent space or establish their galleries with time. A few names to watch? Castiglioni Gallery, Tommaso Calabro, Clima Gallery, Ordet and Martina Simeti.
