Your typical cultural tourist marks Europe and North America’s major cities and galleries in their annual travel diary. Paris, New York and Berlin each top the list as destinations for art lovers, but what about the little known places where art and culture is thriving? They might not be as easy to get to – Jetstar are certainly not flying direct – but they are well worth considering a visit to if you’re looking for something a little different.
1. Inhotim, in Brumadinho Brazil (pictured above)
The arts and culture in Brazil might perhaps be sidelined this year in favour of the world cup, but art lovers should forget football and take trip to the town of Brumadinho in the country’s south east. There you will find the Centro de Arte Contemporânea Inhotim, a contemporary art wonderland founded by Brazilian mining magnate Bernado Paz (hey Gina, here’s an idea).
The 5,000 acre ranch designed by late landscape artist Roberto Burle Marx includes two dozen art pavilions, filled with more than 500 works by artists such as Anish Kapoor, Steven McQueen and Yayoi Kusama. This is arguably one of the finest outdoor contemporary art collections on earth but receives just 250,000 visitors annually. Compared to the 2.5 million a year that New York’s Museum of Modern Art gets, you’ll find there is plenty of space.
Here, the landscapers have worked with the artists to produce an exhibition space that is truly responsive to the art. Also, if you are so inclined, it includes 4500 species of plants in lush jungle surrounds.
G! Festival Summer Festival, photo by Duncan Geere
2. The Faroe Islands
Technically part of Denmark, but mostly self-governing, the Faroe Islands are two hours by plane north from Europe, wedged about halfway between Norway and Iceland. The relatively small island, which is no more than five kilometres from the ocean at any point packs a much weightier cultural punch than its location and small population would have you believe. The islands have an active music community spearheaded by record label Tutl Records, and a visit to the record shop is essential for finding out about upcoming gigs and Faroese music.
The island’s midsummer festivals are also a highlight and take place from late May through to July, with the Ólavsøka festival the biggest.
Design on the island is also not to be sniffed at, with the isolation allowing designers to be influenced by local traditional practices and practicality without being bogged down by the hustle bustle and glaring lights of the industry on mainland Europe. Designers Guðrun & Guðrun are said to be leading the way in fashion on the island, sparking a resurgence in the popularity of traditional knitwear.
Nida Mahmood at her studio in Shahpur Jat
3. Shahpur Jat, Mumbai
Speaking of unique design and fashion the district of Shahpur Jat in Mumbai attracts emerging designers and artists because of its low shop rents, which are both a blessing and a curse for the area which sees one of the most recognisable names in art and craft Dastkar sitting amid rubbish, tombs and a large power grid. Dastkar is a non-government organisation that works with more than 200 villages helping local craftspeople generate income from their practice, so you’ll have access to regional crafts too if you pay them a visit.
Nida Mahmood (pictured) is one of India’s top fashion designers and also works in the area, demonstrating the wave of creatives that have taken root there.
The area is located among the ruins of Siri, the second city of Delhi, and some say it is on its way to becoming the next Hauz Khas village, which has long been known as one of the best areas of Mumbai for culture. If you are someone who wants to get in on the action before everyone else does, this is a good place to start.
Street Art by ROA at Los Muros Hablan in San Juan Puerto Rico
4. Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is a bit of an enigma of the Caribbean. More American than its neighbouring countries, much less American than America, the country lives in limbo land – but it turns out that purgatory can be quite pleasant. The country has a burgeoning street art scene which is celebrated through the Los Muros Hablan Street Art Festival. The festival has expanded recently to include the Puerto Rican neighbourhood of El Barrio in New York to foster relationships between art communities and fans in both countries.
Joshua David Stein wrote in Departures of San Juan’s trendy Santurce neighbourhood, ‘From this low-lying warren of streets, with its bustling colonial farmers’ market called La Placita, an exuberant creative energy has radiated outward touching the entire island. And a brilliant crop of artists, designers, chefs and entrepreneurs are now emerging and, with them, a reconfigured national landscape.’
And if you can’t quite find the street art on the street, you can always find it on the beach.
Ellerman House view of Bantry Bay
5. Ellerman House, Cape Town
If luxury and art are your thing then you can’t go past Ellerman House hotel in Cape Town. This five star hotel takes the recent surge of hotels adding fine art to their overall experience to the next level, and has a fine collection of contemporary and historical South African art. The owners have spent the last 30 years putting together their collection, which extends from the turn of the 20th to today. Guests can take art tours as part of their stay and if you, for some reason unbeknownst to us, tire of all the unique, quality artwork at your fingertips then you just need to turn your head to see stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean, and the infamous Robben Island.
6. St Florian Monastery Library, Austria
There are certainly enough words in this library to keep you occupied (about 150,000 books), so we’ll keep this one short. This library is not only one of the oldest in Austria, it also has an impressive ceiling, which was completed in 1747 by Bartolomeo Altomonte and Antonio Tassi. The paintings are meant to show the marriage of virtue and science underneath the protection of religion and will delight fans of visual art. We had to include a literary destination on this list, and with 108,000 volumes dating back before 1900, this one will delight history buffs as well.
7. Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia
Street artist Nikita Nomerz has been called the Banksy of Russia, and there is no denying that his quirky faces in the sides of buildings have found themselves receiving fame, especially in the annals of the online world, where quirky and street art are an instant recipe for viral.
Nomerz has travelled all over, putting his stamp on buildings in a variety of places, but it is here in his hometown of Nizhniy Novgorod that many of his pieces are found. Take a look at what you can expect, and pack some thermals.
8. St. Petersburg, Florida
Glass artist Dale Chihuly’s wild and twisted sculptures (pictured) are one of the main reasons that St Petersburg in Florida is often at the top of people’s mind when they think of mid-sized American cities that love art. The city hosts an amazing collection of Chihuly’s work, which is spread out across 10,000 square feet, a mile east of the Morean Arts Center. If you’re more of a surrealist, there’s also The Salvador Dali museum to check out. It features almost 1,500 Dali paintings, drawings and sculpture and is a must see for any fan.
Photo via Painting the Passports Brown
9. Hongdae Area, Seoul
The galleries of Seoul’s Hongdae precinct are littered throughout, so visitors are advised to approach it from both sides. The name is an abbreviation of Hongik Daehakgyo, the Hongik University, which is one of the nation’s top fine art colleges. The area is known for its underground music scene, galleries and street art and the students in the area contribute greatly to the overall vibe of the place. If you take a visit there make sure you wander into the laneways off the main streets to find all the best places.
Slavs and Tatars, Friendship of Nations, 2011. Photo: Gerardo S Martinez. Courtesy Sharjah Art Foundation
10. Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
One of the Emirates of the United Arab Emirates, Sharjah is UNESCO’s Cultural Capital of the Arab World, but you probably haven’t heard of it, have you? It has a well developed cultural policy and has been dedicated to establishing a world renowned art scene and was also named the Capital of Islamic Culture for 2014. The city has more than 20 museums to check out, and also undertook a massive cultural poject which aimed to distribute 50 books among 42,000 families to raise cultural awareness.
The Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) works towards establishing opportunities for artists in the area through residencies, production grants, research and exhibitions among other things. The organisation also began the Sharjah Biennial in 1993, which has since grown to become a major event on the cultural calendar.
It also has the strictest decency laws in the UAE, so behave yourself.
