One of my joys is discovering the less well known, contemporary side of places that are more famous for their traditional sights - a modern twist, if you will. Naturally, when I went to Vienna, I had to stay true to that idea. So, let’s venture out to experience this city and its art in a thoroughly contemporary way, shall we? First stop is hiding in the shadow of one of the best known Viennese monuments - St. Stephan’s church. Just a couple blocks away, you will find the Schwarzwaelder gallery. The first, larger, space is tucked into the third floor of an unassuming old residential building ..read more

As I have been known to do, when I run into an artist whose work catches my eye, especially. when I think they should be known to a much larger group of people, I ask to chat with them here and share their fabulous work with you all. I hope this time is no different and you enjoy my interview with Martin Moflar. I came across your work by chance, thanks to the Instagram profile of an artist friend. It immediately captivated me – it's fantastic. So let's start from the beginning. Who is Martin Moflar and what drew you to painting? I was born in Košice in 1975. I studied at a secondary school ..read more

Is it still art if it’s mostly digitally generated? With AI bursting onto the art and design scene and changing how designers around the world do their work I have been pondering that question. How do you assess an image? How much of the artist’s idea has gone into the image and how much of it has been dreamt up by the machine? No easy answers here. And, judging by the heavy discourse around this topic, answers that are not coming any time soon. So, I finally abandoned the academic thinking and decided to share one of the artists I recently discovered and whose work caught my eye - thanks t ..read more

Dubrovnik is well known for its beautiful old town that has been designated as UNESCO heritage site, so many visitors quite naturally do not think about the opportunities to work some contemporary art into their trip. And if you’re a history buff, that’s quite alright. But, if you do enjoy seeing something contemporary - especially in a juxtaposition to the city’s stunning historic backdrop, you’re in luck. There is a good spot for you here, too. Its name is Museum of Modern Art Dubrovnik (MoMAD). Walk out of the Ploće gate, continue along the sea and within minutes you arrive at the imposing ..read more

Interior of the Uhelny Mlyn gallery Spectacular contemporary art spaces in large cities are nothing new. Prague has been getting more and more of those and that makes my heart happy. Leave the city limits, however, and your choices become much more limited. That’s why I am thrilled to have discovered (thanks to some well informed friends) Uhelny Mlyn. This small contemporary gallery is hiding in plain sight a mere 30-minute drive from Prague, in the old factory zone in the town of Libcice. Reminiscent of one of my favorites, the Dia:Beacon gallery outside of New York City, the gallery has k ..read more

Paris in August. Usually pretty hot and free of Parisians who use the peak summer month to take their annual “congé” or “vacances” and escape the hordes of tourists that descend upon their city. But, if you are visiting and happen to love contemporary art, do not despair. Yes, many smaller contemporary galleries may be closed, but there is plenty of interesting art to see. Let’s start in Le Marais. It has always been one of my favorite “arrondissements” in Paris. Meandering streets, lots of cute cafes, tiny boutiques offering wares that you are unlikely to find anywhere else and, for those wh ..read more

Berlin. It’s been a while since I visited. Back when I first saw it, remnants of the Cold War were still everywhere. It was late winter and my dominant memory was the rather unappealing Alexanderplatz, gray skies and cold everywhere. Coming back in late spring definitely helped. It gave me a whole new perspective on a city that’s changed and radiates raw art energy. It was fun to explore and provided more items to put on my list for the next visit. Because I will go back. There is a lot more to do and see. Let’s explore the places that caught my eye. I believe art lovers from around the world ..read more

Whenever I come back to Prague, I make it a point to explore the burgeoning arts and culture scene here. This time was no different. And one of the stops was the intriguing photography show of works by Alžběta Jungrová. I will admit, this show is not new. In fact it opened earlier this spring. But, just seeing glimpses of it in my social feed, I put it on my “must see” list during my most recent visit. And I was not disappointed. In fact, I am hard pressed to recall when I saw such an interesting installation in Prague (and yes, I have been to David Cerny’s Musoleum as well - but that will be ..read more

Philadelphia is well known for its important role in American history. But, what about if you love art and have a day to visit? Rest assured, there is plenty of great art to see. Let’s go! PHILADELPHIA ART MUSEUM The Philadelphia Museum of Art is well known for the great collection it houses. It definitely holds its own compared to its better known neighbors in New York City and Washington, DC. The 240,000 works inside cover 2,000 years of history, including pieces from the ancient world, medieval times, the Renaissance, the Impressionist movement, modern art all the way to the contemporary ..read more

When I first saw Stephane’s work in a gallery in SoHo many years ago, I was instantly drawn to his striking black and white portraits. Yes, they were celebrity portraits, but there was something about them that was different. These were not your typical staged celeb photos. No, they felt much more like candids, catching the well known faces in spontaneous moments, often mid-laugh or pondering some philosophical thought. They felt much more unique. And you already know the depth of my love for black and white photography… no wonder I was hooked! So, I explored. Met the person behind the lens ..read more