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A visit at Modern Art Oxford is a very different art experience. Next to rather insignificant buildings like Westgate Centre, there is a unique building structure, which has once been a brewery. It is now converted into a distinctive gallery with shop, café & bar with a modern vibe, but they still brew their own beer now to keep the tradition.
We were greeted in the great wooden entrance hall by the first piece of art by Abraham Cruzvillegas, whose exhibition is currently on display. A sculpture constructed from a tricycle with a sound system that plays recordings of the artist’s interpretations of various songs, was a taster to the complete exhibition in the upper gallery. It took us a while to realise where the happy whistling came from!
Once in the shop, we didn’t know where to look first. So many beautiful pieces! We decided to sit down in the café first with a glass of wine and Hayley, the Events Manager, came over for a chat about the shop and their products before taking a tour around the building.
The Modern Art Oxford shop stocks a unique range of books, publications and art journals on contemporary art and culture, as well as a hand selected range of design led products, limited edition prints, jewellery, Lomo cameras and gifts. The range is constantly changing to reflect the current season trends and the Gallery programme.
They also have a wide range of design led gifts including Jo Gordon’s new collection of scarves and berets, Corrie Williamson wooden jewellery, o’clock interchangeable rubber watches and a Jansen + Co range of primary coloured teapots, cake pedestals and mugs, a children’s corner with art sets for kids, stationery and books, and – quite new to the shop - copper and brass jewellery by Laura Lombardi. So if you don’t know where to start with your Christmas shopping, this is the place to go!
One range of products that really caught our eye was the popular Plumen lights with their unique chords and various bulb sizes to choose from, and you can see examples in the café that are an inspiration for the many, many ways of how to arrange these lights in your home.
Modern Art Oxford is a venue for all, appealing to those of all ages and tastes and it’s really worth visiting to browse in the shop, admire the building and the exhibitions or enjoy a drink in the café.
Reviewed by Anne Kamphausen and Rosie Newcomb |
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