Sunday, May 20, 2007

Sensory Overload - A Day at the V&A

I went to the Victoria & Albert Museum today. I think it might be my favourite museum. There is just so much to see. It also has the John Madejski Garden which is definitely one of my favourite places in the world. Its just so civilised (despite the overpriced and chaotic catering outlet in its corner).
I still haven't managed to see everything in the museum - partly because I keep getting lost and partly because I keep returning to the same favourites. But today I walked around a good proportion of it - taking in the silverware section (dazzling, I was like a magpie in there) and looking over at the sculptures (stunning - my pictures don't do it any justice).



I mainly went with the intention of seeing the Surrealism exhibition - which was interesting enough but I'm not going to dwell on it as I'll probably have nightmares tonight about being unable to reach someone on my lobster phone.

5 comments:

Carlito86 said...

I've never been, but I really would love to :-)

M said...

How wonderful to have access to those sort of cultural treasures. We have a few very small venues here, but nothing of that magnitude or significance. People/tourists are more likely to visit the JFK Museum and 'Assassination Tour' vs. an art or cultural venue here.

SandDancer said...

It is great and we are lucky having so much access to cultural things in London but on the flipside some of these establishments are a sign of our colonial past and things went on in the past that meant taking some things away from their rightful owners. There was also an interesting exhibition this weekend at the V&A that looked at the slave trade which put into context many of the treasures (succh as those related to tea, coffee & sugar trade or museum benefactors who made their money in slavery) so I'm perhaps feeling a bit of liberal guilt!

Anonymous said...

I love the V&A but its ages since I've been....

I also have a secret love of the science museum with all it's buttons, knobs and things to poke to see how stuff works, but I'm a big kid at heart...and I'm still a little bit scared of that oil rig and those shrunken heads in the creepy medical exhibition on the very top floor

SandDancer said...

I've never been to the science museum. I quite like the Natural History Museum for the dinosaurs although the last time I went, a small child looked at me with disdain and told me they weren't real.