A childhood home encased in concrete, a museum preserved in amber: the M. V. Frunze House Museum is a great final stop in Bishkek. One Final Museum in Bishkek We’ve had a pretty good look around Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital, at this point. I wrote a ’48 Hours’ guide first, which covered Osh Bazaar, day trips, […]
The Kyrgyz National Museum of Fine Arts Gapara Aitieva brings together applied and fine arts in a unique Soviet Brutalist building. Great for learning about the 20th century development of the arts in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyz National Museum of Fine Arts Gapara Aitieva We’re continuing our tour of museums in Bishkek today, by visiting the Kyrgyz […]
The National History Museum of the Kyrgyz Republic offers a modern, well-presented overview of Kyrgyz culture and history, balancing nomadic traditions, Soviet-era politics, and contemporary identity, even if some silences remain in its narrative. Let’s Start by Talking About the Fetishisation of the Soviet Period When it comes to crafting each post on the Salterton […]
A chance decision to visit the Museum of the National Academy of Arts. T. Sadykova (Tinibek Sadykov) leads to a unique museum-going experience as well as a lesson in Bishkek’s, and Kyrgyzstan’s, history. Museum Visits: Sometimes Bloody-Mindedness is the Key Something that I think everyone should understand is that a lot of the content on […]
A couple of days in Bishkek is just about long enough to start to get a feel for Kyrgyzstan’s capital. Why not extend it just a little and add in a daytrip? 48 Hours in Bishkek A recent trip to Kyrgyzstan was my first time visiting Central Asia. I was there primarily for a hiking […]
A feminist reworking of Frankenstein by British Touring Shakespeare brings new life to Gothic horror. On at the Bridge House Theatre just in time for Halloween. Frankenstein – British Touring Shakespeare I’m here today with another Halloween-appropriate offering for you. From mysterious bog bodies on our last spooky outing, we now return to classic Gothic […]
Kerry James Marshall’s The Histories examines Black experience, identity, and art history through striking, richly pigmented paintings. Kerry James Marshall 2025 has been a year of discovering new (to me) contemporary artists in favourite galleries. I really enjoyed Noah Davis at the Barbican earlier in the year. There was Jenny Saville at the National Portrait […]
Showing inspirations and connections beyond Pierre Soulages’ work alone, the Musée Fabre shows new sides to “the painter of black”. Pierre Soulages. La Rencontre Any serious discussion of the Musée Fabre should account for its relationship with Pierre Soulages (1919–2022), a painter whose career not only reshaped postwar abstraction in France but who also cultivated […]
Montpellier’s main art museum, the Musée Fabre combines collections and acquisitions to form a classic art historical overview in a historic setting. Just Enough Time for One Museum If you’ve been following the blog, you’ll have been expecting this post. My last entry was a whistle stop tour of Montpellier, in the South of France. […]
With an afternoon to spare, how much of Montpellier can we see, and is it enough to get a feel for the city? Join us as we answer these questions, perhaps picking up inspiration for your own trip in the process. A Quick Stop in Montpellier Readers of the Salterton Arts Review have recently followed […]
