Fusterlandia, 2000–Present, Havana, Cuba, by José Rodríguez Fuster

Destination Art every kid will love!

Taking a trip with children? Then pick out somewhere from our great new travel guide to art around the world

Finding it difficult to fit a bit of culture into the kids’ lives? Then get our new book, Destination Art. The title takes a good look at 500 artworks around the world worth taking a trip to see. Brought to you by the editors behind our highly successful global architecture guide, Destination Architecture, Destination Art gathers together great art from all across the world, from Kuala Lumpur to Kansas City, Tokyo to Tangier. Plenty of the chosen works are pretty serious, though many are perfectly suited to younger viewers, giving cultured kids an easy route into a what hopefully will be a lifelong appreciation of art.

Fusterlandia, 2000–Present, Havana, Cuba, by José Rodríguez Fuster (above) This local artist has worked in the Havana suburb for nearly two decades, brightening up the neighbourhood with his playful, ceramic works. “The project grew and now extends for blocks,” explains our book. “Vibrant mosaics adorn courtyards, roofs, doorways, and more, while painted quotations from Cuban literary icons and a variety of sculptures provide additional layers to explore in this art-filled community.”

 

Patient Patients, 2014, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK, by Laura Ford
Patient Patients, 2014, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK, by Laura Ford

Patient Patients, 2014, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK, by Laura Ford A trip to the doctor’s is made more palatable for younger patients, thanks to these humorous additions. “The life-size bronzes belong to a series of animal sculptures by Ford installed in different zones of the hospital campus,” explains our book. “Other fantastical figures include a bear with a sore back, a lion with a bandaged paw, and an elephant with a bruised trunk.”

 

Dots Obsession, 2012, Matsumoto City Museum of Art, Japan, by Yayoi Kusama
Dots Obsession, 2012, Matsumoto City Museum of Art, Japan, by Yayoi Kusama

Dots Obsession, 2012, Matsumoto City Museum of Art, Japan, by Yayoi Kusama What’s more fun than a Kusama installation? How about a Kusama installation that also sells fizzy drinks? “This multipart piece is the result of a collaboration between the Japanese artist and the Coca-Cola Company. A functioning vending machine, a recycling bin, and a bench decorated in the artist’s trademark white polka dots on a red background welcome visitors to the Matsumoto City Museum of Art.”

 

Snowman / Snowflake, 2006, Singapore, by Inges Idee
Snowman / Snowflake, 2006, Singapore, by Inges Idee

Snowman / Snowflake, 2006, Singapore, by Inges Idee Didn’t think you’d see a snowman this close to the Equator? Well, think again. “This elongated snowman towers over shoppers at the VivoCity mall,” says our new book. “An enlarged cluster of crystalline snowflakes sits on the roof nearby, another unfamiliar sight in this tropical climate, which has never had a snowfall. Such witty incongruities are typical of this German artist collective, which has been designing quirky public sculptures since the early 1990s.”

 

Still life with Car and Stone, 2004, Sydney, Australia, by Jimmie Durham
Still life with Car and Stone, 2004, Sydney, Australia, by Jimmie Durham

Still life with Car and Stone, 2004, Sydney, Australia, by Jimmie Durham This sculpture is fun to look at today, however, its creation was probably a lot more entertaining for younger viewers. “During the 2004 Biennale of Sydney, an audience watched as a 2.2 ton stone was dropped onto the roof of a 1999 Ford Fiesta,” explains our book. “The resulting sculpture now resides in the middle of a Walsh Bay roundabout.”

 

Destination Art
Destination Art

Feel like seeing these, or any other great works around the world? Then order a copy of Destination Art, our excellent new art travel guide, which lists 500 works by 340 artists in 300 different cities and 60 different countries, all definitely worth a detour. You can buy copy here. And look out for the next story from it in our Phaidon.com series