Museums 
Japan: Nagasaki’s Atomic Bomb Museum(0)
It is the two-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Japan today. We all know that it was not only the quake and the tsunami that followed that caused such devastating destruction, but also the damage to the atomic reactors in Fukushima. Before March 11, 2011, I dare say that no one knew about Fukushima. [...]
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Japan: The amazing 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa
The relatively small city of Kanazawa is full of surprises. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art is a revelation, for example. There are works by world famous artists such as Olafur Eliasson, Leandro Erlich, James Turrell, Anish Kapoor, Jan Fabre and Patrick Blanc. Not only is the art shown on par with New York, [...]
Kanazawa, gold-leaf capital of Japan
Have you ever seen a gossamer-thin leaf of gold? Blow on it ever so lightly and it will fly away, catching the sunshine, if you are lucky, and creating an ephemeral moment of magic. Put a few flakes in tea and transform an ordinary “cuppa” into a drink of luxury. There are even those pundits [...]
Estonia: a frightening experience in Tallinn’s KUMU museum
The KUMU contemporary art museum in Tallinn, Estonia, is one of those iconic buildings you don’t forget: clean lines, generous spaces, windows that catch as much light as possible. No wonder Finnish architect Pekka Vapaavuori’s design won the prestigious European Museum of the Year Award in 2008. So whenever I visit Tallinn, I always make [...]