ZAGREB, 12 Jan (Hina) - The Museum Documentation Centre (MDC) has announced a series of major museum openings around the world expected this year, with total costs estimated at about $1 billion, although final figures have yet to be confirmed.
On Croatia’s museum scene, the MDC highlights the Croatian Sports Museum, which is due to open its first permanent exhibition in central Zagreb. The museum will present Croatia’s sporting heritage, tracing the development of physical culture and sport from the mid-19th century to the present, including the country’s leading athletic achievements.
Renovation of Zagreb’s Art Pavilion is expected to be completed by spring, with its first major exhibition planned for the autumn. The Mimara Museum and the Croatian Museum of Naïve Art are expected to open permanent displays by the end of the year.
In Čakovec, a renewed permanent exhibition at the Ladislav Kralj Međimurec Memorial Collection is scheduled to open on 24 April in the fully restored house of the painter and graphic artist. The programme will include workshops and public events.
Renovation of the Oršić Castle park in Gornja Stubica, home to the Museum of Peasant Revolts, is expected to be completed by mid-year. The €8 million project will make the baroque castle accessible to visitors with disabilities. Parts of the museum will open this year, while the new permanent exhibition will follow later.
In Sisak, the Striegl City Gallery plans to open the Striegl House in the second half of the year, presenting works from its collection in the artist’s birthplace, alongside space for temporary exhibitions.
Slovenia is also set to open a new museum. The Lah Museum, a contemporary art museum housing the Lah Collection of more than 800 works by over 100 artists from Slovenia and abroad, is due to open on 6 June near Bled Castle in a newly built 5,000-square-metre facility.
In Brussels, KANAL – Centre Pompidou is scheduled to open on 28 November. Housed in a former 1930s Citroën garage, the multidisciplinary branch of the Paris-based Centre Pompidou will focus on modern and contemporary art. With 40,000 square metres of space, it will be among Europe’s largest art museums, featuring galleries, a playground, a restaurant and a rooftop terrace overlooking the city.
