Amsterdam

Moco Amsterdam: Banksy & Warhol

A real blogger would’ve been at the opening of the new and anticipated Moco Amsterdam a month and a half ago, but let’s be honest, I’ve been busy. Doing what you ask? I don’t know? Drinking excessive amounts of Heineken in Vondelpark and binge watching Mindy Project season four on Hulu, perhaps.

Today, I finally made the time to visit Moco Amsterdam, something I’ve been meaning to do for weeks. The Moco Museum is Amsterdam’s new contemporary and modern art gallery on Museumplein. It is a private initiative by Lionel and Kim Logchies, an avid art collecting couple. Their goal is to attract a young and international crowd and get people excited about art.

Wedged between the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, this small gallery is currently packed with work by two icons: Warhol and Banksy.

When the opening was announced, I was immediately excited. Despite my dad’s short-lived graffiti removal business, I have always been fascinated by street art. Just last week I spent hours scavenging the streets of Berlin for favorites and lesser known pieces.

Although I prefer hunting for art and often find museums underwhelming and overcrowded, this exhibit intrigued me. Warhol and Banksy are two artists that defy the norm and enjoy controversy. There are many striking similarities between their subject matter, material and style.

Warhol drew most of his inspiration from Hollywood and consumerism. He is most famous for creating iconic pieces like his 32 Campbell’s Soup Cans and various portraits of Marilyn Monroe using screen printers and bright colors. His work was so out of the box that it inspired an entirely new genre of art, pop art.

Much like his predecessor, Banksy enjoys creating controversial and public art in risky ways. He is known for hanging his own pieces in internationally acclaimed museums and tagging his signature rat in cities worldwide. His style is graphic and arguably raw. He spotlights public figures and children in his pieces and critically depicts the problems in our society. Through his urban adventures, Banksy has undeniably turned street art into art.

Although I still find museums overrated and am resistant to step foot inside the Rijksmuseum, I will stop by Moco Amsterdam again soon.