The New Modern Art Museum

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Museo del Arte Moderno, Medellin
The new Museo del Arte Moderno

Last year I wrote about a visit to the Museo del Arte Moderno de Medellin (Modern Art Museum).

At some point during the 11 months I was back in the USA, the museum relocated to the Ciudad del Rio development in Poblado.  And as it just so happened, that is where I ended up renting a room this year.

I walked past the new building a few dozen times on the way to the gym, supermarket, and Industriales metro before I finally went inside one weekend afternoon with Troy and Carolina.

Gallery space in Museu del Arte Moderno, Medellin
Gallery space

The layout is much better than in the old building, and I liked how the new building itself was formerly used for industrial purposes.

The size of the museum is fairly small, especially in comparison to places like the MoMA in New York City, but that’s not a bad thing.

It means you can visit all of the exhibits at a relaxed pace in about an hour.

There are few windows, and the air conditioning can be a welcome relief on a sunny afternoon.

Architecture exhibit in Museo del Arte Moderno, Medellin
Architecture exhibit

The museum hosts a variety of events, however as the schedule is in Spanish, I have only glanced at it in passing (it’s posted outside the museum).

You can view up-to-date information on events via the museum website.

Carolina flips through illuminated pages
Carolina flips through illuminated pages.

Adjacent the museum (housed in the same building) are a gift shop and a restaurant called Bonuar.

According to the restaurant’s website, they host a live blues band every Wednesday night.  That I haven’t eaten there yet even though I lived next door is hard for me to believe, so expect a review soon!

Admission: 5,000 pesos ($2.70). Free for kids under 12, seniors over 60, and students with a current ID card.

Hours:

  • Tuesdays-Fridays from 9 am to 5:30 pm.
  • Saturdays from 10 am to 5:30 pm.
  • Sundays from 10 am to 5:00 pm.
  • Closed Mondays and holidays.

Update

In 2014, construction on a 24 billion peso ($10 million) expansion began in order to provide gallery space for the museum’s permanent collection and an auditorium. Check out the images below and see the specs here.

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8 COMMENTS

  1. Medellin is recognized by its culture and art. the art in Medellin is the best way for that the youngest people have a better live and also have opportunities to be professionals. each day Medellin have improved its culture because they make campaign . in my opinion i am proud that my city is improve its culture and its art because really we need and should be the best of the world because we are nice people.

    • This is Kevin. I am from Connecticut. I hope to visit Medellin in the near future. I believe that your city is an absolutely great destination to visit !! I am strongly considering moving there !!

    • Hi Cristina, I live in Ciudad del Rio, and was actually thinking about writing a blog post about the area, and park, since it has grown in popularity.

      What kind of info are you looking for?

  2. I went to MAMM in August this year (2014), and have to say I was quite disappointed.

    Entry was cheap enough, but they didn’t have a permanent collection. So, if you don’t like the temporary artist exhibiting at the time of your visit (I didn’t particularly- I can’t remember the name, but it was a South African artist), then you’re buggered.

    Why don’t they have a permanent collection?

    Much preferred the modern art museums in Bogota and Cali. Sorry, paisas, just my opinion…

    • They do have a permanent collection. The problem is there’s not enough gallery space to show it in the current building, which is why construction began on a 24 billion peso ($10 million) expansion at the rear of the main building in 2014. You can learn more here on the museum’s website.

      I’m also going to add a slideshow to the end of this post to give a glimpse of what it will look like once completed.

  3. I actually found out your opening times are not quite correct. They close on the first day of the working week, so that’s usually a monday. However if monday is a holiday (like recently) then the museum will be closed on Tuesday. I found this out after quite a hot long walk too. 🙂