Antioquia Museum and Botero Plaza- Museo de Antioquia y Plaza Botero
The Museum of Antioquia is the most visited art museum in Medellin. It houses a large collection of works by Medellín native Fernando Botero and Pedro New Gomez. Outside the museum in Botero Plaza are 23 huge Botero sculptures and inside are 4 floors of art work from top class artists. (Address: Cl. 52 #52-43)
The upper floors house the Botero and traditional artists while the lower floors have the exhibitions which are a bit more edgy and pushing the envelope.
House of Memory Museum-Museo Casa de la Memoria
The House of Memory Museum is a multimedia museum related to the violence that enveloped the city for more than 30 years. It is both educational and moving and pays tribute to the victims and their families and those affected by the drug cartel wars and guerrilla fighting. Its an important piece in understanding Medellin and Colombia and the effects of violence on a people. (Address: Parque Bicentario, Cl. 51 #36-66)
El Castillo Museum and Gardens- El Castillo Museo y Jardines
Museo El Castillo is a Gothic style castle built in 1930 for Diego Echavarria and his family as their residence. The home has a number of nice pieces of art and furniture of that period. The history of the family is also interesting but tragic. After Diego, a wealthy business owner is a kidnapped and killed, the family bequeathed the estate to the city as a museum (Diego was well aware of the kidnapping problem and left instructions not to pay the ransom if kidnapped so no ransom was paid). (Address:Cl. 9 Sur #32-269)
The gardens offer nice panoramic views of the city and it’s a great place to relax for an hour or more.
Medellin Modern Art Museum- Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellin (MAMM)
The Museum of Modern Art in Medellin is a world class museum with a great collection of works by Medellin born Debora Arango and a number of excellent Colombian Artists. It is well know for innovative and thought provoking exhibitions. The building itself is a piece of art. (Address: Car. 44 #19a-100)
Conclusion
Medellin has a vibrant art community and a number of excellent museums. I have highlighted the top four here but there are a number of great smaller museums and galleries to explore in the City. I hope you find them inspiring and enjoyable. Please let me know your thoughts or questions.
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.