International Museum Day (IMD) is celebrated every year on 18 May. This day is observed to highlight the importance of museums in any culture. According to the official website of International Council of Museums (ICOM), "Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples."
There was a time, in the seemingly endless lockdowns of last year (and the year before that), where it seemed like IRL culture had just stopped. The idea of a brand-new gallery popping up didn’t just seem unlikely, it felt impossible. But the worlds of art and heritage didn’t actually cease to exist. Across the globe, artists continued to create strange, groundbreaking works. Galleries battled through. And now 2022 is here (and the virus appears to be fading), a whole host of new museums (new!) are opening their doors for the very first time. Here are the most exciting museum openings of the year.
1. Istanbul Museum of Modern Art
The Istanbul Museum of Modern Art was an icon of the Karakoy waterfront, before it was relocated temporarily to build a new state-of-the-art complex, designed by legendary architect Renzo Piano. The return of the Modern is set to enliven a seaside stretch that has also seen the recent opening of Galataport, a multipurpose development with a long pedestrian promenade along the Bosphorus, as well as a bevy of shops and restaurants. The space will also hold a library, cinema, design store and several event spaces.
2. Grand Egypt Museum, Giza
When it finally opens in November 2022, the Grand Egypt Museum will be the biggest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilisation. It’s located in Giza, within snooping distance of the great pyramids and a 40-minute drive from the capital, Cairo. The museum’s rotating display will comprise 50,000 artefacts, but most importantly, this will be the first time that all 5,000 pieces of King Tutankhamun’s treasure will be displayed in the same place since its discovery – death mask included.
3. Maison Gainsbourg, Paris
The Parisian townhouse where the feted (and more than occasionally controversial) French singer Serge Gainsbourg has been closed off to the public since his death in 1991. This spring, though, it’ll finally open as a museum dedicated to his life and work. The project has been led by his daughter – the actor and singer Charlotte – and the main attraction will surely be Serge’s famously eccentric living area, with its piano, art deco bar and huge collection of sculptures.
4. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
The expansion of the Art Gallery of New South Wales has cost a cool A$247 million (£130 million or $177 million). That’s a lot of cash. But the renovation is properly stunning. Visitors enter via a vast glass façade, which hangs above a pair of decommissioned Second World War oil tanks. Collections by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists are given precedence in the new gallery spaces, and green roofs, rainwater harvesting and solar panels also make it one of Australia’s most sustainable buildings.
