Best of 2015
Well, 2015 has certainly been a bumper year on the museum and heritage front. My 'annual hit list' has overflowed twice off of its page in my diary, and you can now read the full roll of honour elsewhere on the blog.
Following on from last year's initiative, I've also picked out my top 10 for you, in chronological order. It's been very hard to whittle it down. With thanks to the many wonderful companions that I've had on these visits:
1. War, Art and Surgery at the Hunterian Museum, Royal College of Surgeons
Of the many exhibition offerings related to the WW1 centenary, this small, intimate show brought out the human impact of war in the horrifying, beautiful pastels of Henry Tonks.
2. Magnificent Obsessions: The Artist as Collector at the Barbican
One of my favourite shows of the year in its sheer profusion and vibrancy of objects collected by artists. It wasn't to everyone's tastes but I loved the relationship of collection and art.
3. The new Reading Room at the Wellcome Collection
Readers of this blog know I'm a big fan of the Wellcome and their newly revamped library reading room is a triumph of playful, accessible and stylish use of the collections. They've also launched some great Digital Stories this year.
4. The re-opening of the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
Showing just how fabulous a regional museum can be, the Whitworth opened with a visually striking selection of exhibitions both from loans and their permanent collection.
5. The new Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
Equally spectacular was the Whitney's re-opening in its new building at the end of the High Line. Their opening show filled the entire building on the subject America is Hard to See, a thought-provoking curation of their permanent collection.
6. China: Through the Looking Glass at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Immersive, even overwhelming, exhibition design is becoming increasingly popular and I would see this offering from the Met as a top notch example. It made me look afresh at both their permanent collections and the interventions of fashion and film. A real experience.
7. Indigenous Australia: Enduring Civilisation at the British Museum
A rare chance to see some of the BM's extraordinary Pacific collections, this exhibition did a skilled job of navigating the complexities of both Aboriginal culture and European encounter with it.
8. James Turrell's Lightscape at Houghton Hall, Norfolk
It was a beautiful experience to see Turrell's illuminations on the facade of Houghton, which also got me thinking about 'event art'. It was a joy to see a number of his light pieces together, along with his sensitive series of etchings.
9. Proportio at the Palazzo Fortuny, Venice
Readers also know how I love a house museum, with Kettle's Yard and the Isabella Gardner being two of my favourites. This unexpectedly wonderful exhibition combined the best of the two to think about proportion.
10. The Little Museum of Dublin
Only opened in 2011, this is a joyous and fascinating introduction to Dublin. The collection has been donated by locals, and the tour guides explode with knowledge and enthusiasm.
A sneaky extra addition, but not one I felt I could really include in my top 10:
11. #MuseumofShadows
Some readers will know of my love of capturing photos of shadows. Thanks to a friend's quick wits I've appointed myself keeper of the 'Museum of Shadows' this year and am greatly enjoying watching my Twitter followers start to take part. I'm excited to see what it might become in 2016 ...