Moco Museum (Modern Contemporary Museum) is quite a unique cultural spot in Amsterdam. It’s young, urban and with a strong millennial vibe. A wonderful virtual tour around the Moco Museum has just been launched. So I thought it could be nice to tell you more about the Moco Museum highlights, its story and give you some tips for visiting it.

Moco Museum

This blog post was sponsored by Moco Museum. Check out their website for more photos and info about it.

What’s the story behind the Moco Museum

Located right at the heart of Amsterdam museum quarter, Moco Museum is standing proud next to some of the Amsterdam’s classics like the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum.

Founded only four years ago, in April 2016, it quickly became one of the most popular cultural spots in the Dutch capital.

What makes it so unique is that it’s a privately owned boutique museum. Moco Museum founders, Kim and Lionel Logchies, own the Lionel Gallery at a near-by Nieuwe Spiegelstraat. It was recognised as one of the top 55 best art galleries in Europe by Artnet.

Being very playful and visual, Moco Museum highlights are a great introduction to the contemporary art world for people that are not that much into art at all. It’s intended for a wider audience, giving a brief introduction to the stars of contemporary art.

Read more: The best museums in Amsterdam

However, what I really like about it, is how with its combination of traditional and urban, it captures the essence of Amsterdam so well.

Located in a beautiful classical mansion built by Eduard Cuypers (nephew of a famous architect Pierre Cuypers who built a near-by Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam Central Station) it has that classy historic Amsterdam mood.

But, once inside of it, or just by walking through its garden, you’ll find yourself pulled into an urban vibe Amsterdam has with its street art, graffiti culture and love towards the contemporary art.

Moco Museum combines that so well. And same as Eduard was Pierre’s progressive nephew, by its style, Moco is Rijksmuseum‘s cool and fun grandchild.

Banksy: Imagine a city where graffiti wasn’t illegal, a city where everybody could draw whatever they liked. Where every street was awash with a million colours and little phrases. Where standing at a bus stop was never boring…

Imagine a city like that and stop leaning against the wall – it’s wet.

Moco Museum Virtual Tour

Lately, many museums put more of their collections online and tried to show some of their artwork digitally. However, Moco Museum went a step further in giving a virtual experience of visiting the museum and some of Moco Museum highlights.

You can take a Moco Museum Virtual Tour on a link here.

Moco Museum Highlights

Somewhere I read an excellent description of the Moco Museum highlights as the ‘rock stars of contemporary art’. And with its collection of artwork by Banksy, Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons or Keith Haring they couldn’t be described in a better way. Here are some of the highlights at the Moco Museum you shouldn’t miss:

1/ Banksy – Girl with Balloon (Canvas)

Banksy’s ‘Girl with Balloon’ is probably one of the most famous contemporary art pieces. Created back in 2003, it almost symbolises the street art movement. This simple, but powerful work is one of Banksy’s most famous art pieces. Made only of three colours, black, white and red, it’s so captivating, it’s definitely a piece of art that marked the beginning of the new millennium.

Banksy: I have no interest in ever coming out. I figure there are enough self-opinionated assholes trying to get their ugly little face in front of you as it is.

2/ Andy Warhol – Dollar

What Banksy is to street art, Andy Warhol is to Pop Art world. And his ‘Dollar’ represents that art movement equally well. In it, he’s contemplating about the art and wealth, and how the two can’t live without each other.

3/ KAWS – Final Days

A fantastic part of Moco Museum’s exhibition are art pieces in its garden. And one of the most inspiring ones there is KAWS’ ‘Final Days’. A large statue was inspired by the popular culture and the Smurfs characters. It’s sculpted from the afrormosia, an African wood traditionally believed to have spiritual energy.

4/ Mark Rothko – Black Blue Painting

Mark Rothko marked Abstract Expressionism and created multiple art pieces that made his unique style. He brings an important spiritual level into his work by applying a thin layer of paint to create surfaces that would bring people in front of them on a spiritual journey. ‘Black Blue Painting’ is his later work, created in 1968, only two years before his death.

5/ Banksy – Ten Monkeys

Among the Moco Museum highlights, work of Bansky and an exhibition dedicated to him is taking a special place. ‘Ten Monkeys’ is one of the most interesting art pieces in Moco Museum, satirically playing with everything that’s hypocritical about the human world.

6/ Yayoi Kusama – Night of Stars

My life is a dot lost among thousands of other dots.

With this statement, Yayoi Kusama not only described her life but her work, as well. Her ‘Night of Starts’ is a result of the light auras and dots she saw in hallucinations she had as a child.

Tips for visiting the Moco Museum

  • Avoid visiting it during the rush hour – Moco Museum is quite a popular spot in Amsterdam. Especially during the summer months, I’d avoid visiting it between 11 am and 5 pm. Come at 10 am or later in the afternoon (it’s open until 7 pm) and enjoy having some of Moco Museum highlights only for yourself.
  • Buy your ticket online – That’s my tip for visiting any museum, actually. Instead of queuing outside and waiting at a cashier, buy your ticket online and proceed directly to the museum. It will leave you with more time to enjoy in some of the beautiful Moco Museum highlights. You can buy your Moco Museum ticket on a link here.
  • Read the texts next to the artwork – It makes such a difference to read the text and learn about the artworks next to them. Contemporary art is about the feelings evoking in you. But, you’ll experience it the best if you’ll read the stories behind some of the Moco Museum highlights and learn more about them, too.

Moco Museum is definitely one of the most unique and exciting cultural spots in Amsterdam. Check out the Moco Museum virtual tour before your visit, buy your ticket online and thoroughly enjoy in visiting the Moco Museum once there.

Did you have a chance to visit the Moco Museum already? What was your favourite piece of art there? Let me know in the comments below!

⤷ TIP: Would you like to visit some other Dutch cities filled with art and culture? Check out Haarlem, Maastricht or Rotterdam.

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