Present day
12-05-14
International Museums Day
Museum collections make connections
May 18th is International Museum Day, and to mark the event the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum will be offering free admission to all visitors over the weekend. Also available during the weekend are free tours of the major retrospective Markus Lüpertz: 1963–2013, which closes on Monday, 19th May) Guides will explain the work of this leading contemporary painter and sculptor, from his early days in Abstract Expressionism to his later vibrant figuration, rooted in the human body and landscape.
Visitors wishing to sign up for the approximately one-hour-long guided tour should go to the ticket window. The tours are scheduled to run on both days, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th at 12 noon, 1 p.m., 6 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. While the guided tours are in progress, between 12 noon and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., children aged 5 to 10 are invited to colour stencils of masterworks in the Museum in a specially-reserved area, under the supervision of a monitor.
The International Council of Museums (ICOM) established International Museum Day in 1977 to encourage public awareness of the role of museums in the development of society.
Each year, International Museum Day gathers more museums from all around the world. In 2013, 35,000 museums from 143 countries on five continents participate to International Museum Day.
Traditionally, International Museum Day is organised around 18 May. Activities can last a day, a weekend or a whole week !
The suggested theme for 2014 is Museum collections make connections
This theme reminds us that museums are living institutions that help create bonds between visitors, generations and cultures around the world.
The museum is an institution that preserves and communicates the past, yet it is grounded in the present. It is a link between the generations, as it allows present and future generations to better comprehend their origins and history.