THIS IS NOT ART THIS IS LIFE

The last ten days I have been to more museums than in the last year, I am not one to go out of my way to see art if the opportunity rises to visit some of the greatest museums, I bite my lip and prepare to be battered and bruised by too much art in one place. Antwerp reveals its important artistic culture in its magnificent museums, works from its old master Rubens are all over the town but the panels in the cathedral is a DON'T miss (unless you drank too much beer) tourist spot. With so many to choose from my favorite have to be the MOMU and the MuHKA. The 20 years of MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA exhibit at the MOMU sparked off my interest in this Antwerp designer who has yet to show his true identity to the public, and the exhibition has some great artisan pieces. While in the MuHKA 26 artist try to organize the world in an exhibit called "The Order Of Things" amongst the complete dictionary and an artists entire collection of black and white photos since 1983. Amid this jumble, Dutch photographer Hans Eijkelboom seems to make the best order with his long time project "photo notes" he brings order to his huge photo collection by grouping photos of people wearing the same clothes, more anthropologist than artist.
Art-world rock star Damien Hirst's crystal skull in the Rijksmeuseum, has sparked off the most discussion in the household. The queues at the Rijksmuseum was long (to avoid it buy an e-ticket!!) and having toured the great works from Rembrandt and his contemporary's, you have to queues again to see "For the love of god" and through a dark maze, in a pitch black room the crystal skull sits like an ancient relic or religious icon for the world to gaze at. Hirst seems to be the best at creating worldwide reactions to his works and this time he succeeds by making you ask yourself; Is this 50 million euro lump of bone and stone Art? Maybe he feels the same as me, there is no such thing as Art only life, and he uses the main elements of life "Death and Money" too illustrate his point!! Well I do know that he is not the first man too make a crystal skull checkout this great collection!!