Latest news with #SmallWorlds
Time Out
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
The most underrated museum in the world's best cities, according to Time Out editors
This Sunday (May 18) is International Museum Day – and what better way to mark the occasion than stopping by one of your city's unsung institutions? Sure, that tourist-choked arts district in the city centre has all the Big Ones, but we've lost count of the number of times we've shuffled through those lofty halls. To help you expand your cultural horizons, we asked Time Out editors in 11 of the world's biggest and best cities to share their favourite underrated museum. Some are small and incredibly niche, others simply sit in the shadow of bigger institutions – and they're all well worth adding to your next city break itinerary. So, for when you've ticked off your Louvres, your Vaticans and your MoMAs, here are our picks for 11 of the world's most underrated museums in our favourite major cities. Miniature Museum Small Worlds, Tokyo 'Tucked away on Odaiba, a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Small Worlds is home to one of the largest collections of miniatures and dioramas in the world. There are small-scale reproductions of real-life locations such as Kansai International Airport and NASA's space centre in the 1960s, alongside fictional scenes from animes including Sailor Moon. Best of all, an in-house 3D scanner means you too can get the titchy treatment, either taking your miniature home with you or paying to have it placed in one of the museum's exhibits for a year.'— Marcus Webb, Time Out Tokyo editor Design Museum, London 'The Design Museum might be younger, smaller and less well-known than gigantic, all-conquering, tourist-swallowing London establishments like the British Museum, Science Museum, Natural History Museum and so on, but its exhibitions can go toe-to-toe with all of 'em. The museum was founded by legendary designer Sir Terence Conran and its scope is vast – covering pretty much anything that's been designed, ever, from film sets to coffee tables. Best of all, every exhibition I've been to here has been exquisitely, thoughtfully curated, as engaging for total design newbies as for nerds.'— Ed Cunningham, UK and London news editor City Reliquary, New York City 'While other museums might take you through the history of NYC via historic documents, photographs and priceless artifacts, City Reliquary chooses a far more eclectic approach to shedding light on the greatest city in the world. The permanent collection includes all sorts of quirky ephemera like old postcards, a vintage subway turnstile and glasses that once held seltzer water.'— Rossilynne Culgan, Time Out New York things to do editor Chau Chak Wing Museum, Sydney 'Hidden in the grounds of the University of Sydney, this treasure trove of a museum hasn't been around all that long (it opened in late 2020), but it has been generations in the making. The curation is more poetic than analytical – bringing together diverse artefacts from archives of art, historic antiquities, and scientific specimens – offering visitors a fresh perspective, and challenging colonial narratives.'— Alice Ellis, Time Out Australia editor-in-chief Can Framis Museum, Barcelona 'In the heart of Poblenou, Can Framis Museum blends architectural brilliance with contemporary Catalan art and a distinctive urban setting that offers a contemplative environment away from the city's more crowded tourist spots. Over 250 works by artists born or residing in Catalonia are displayed in this restored eighteenth-century textile factory, transformed by architect Jordi Badia and his firm BAAS Arquitectura, which now integrates modern concrete structures, resulting in a harmonious blend of old and new. The emphasis on local talent provides visitors with a profound journey through iconic contemporary Catalan paintings, created from the 1960s until the present day.' — Maria Jose Gomez, Time Out Barcelona editor , Singapore 'Though it's tucked away on the campus of the National University of Singapore, this oft-forgotten museum housing ginormous dinosaur skeletons, fossils, the bones of a 10.6-metre-long sperm whale, and countless other zoological specimens is open to the public. Even the building's biophilic cliff-like design is something to marvel at.'— Rachel Yohannan, Time Out Singapore editor Bordalo Pinheiro Museum, Lisbon 'A space dedicated to the Portuguese naturalist master, renowned for his striking faience pieces produced in Caldas da Rainha, as well as for the sharp-witted illustrations and caricatures that filled the press in the second half of the nineteenth century. The museum hosts a varied programme, with events for all ages. Cross the road and take a stroll through the garden dedicated to the artist, where ceramic animals bring his whimsical world to life.'— Mauro Gonçalves, executive editor at Time Out Lisbon CupNoodles Museum, Osaka 'On the outskirts of Osaka you'll CupNoodles, a shrine to the joys of instant noodles. Here you'll learn about the history of the convenience store staple, see a replica of the shed where 'chicken noodles' were invented and even whip up your own original Cup Noodles for the coolest souvenir going.'— MW MOD, Adelaide 'This free, futuristic museum is like no other in the country, blending art and science in a super interactive way. Across the museum's seven interactive spaces, you'll find all sorts of touchscreens, drawing pads and building blocks designed to challenge how we think about the future. Here, you'll also find Australia's first Science on a Sphere: a glowing six-foot, 3D video globe that morphs into different planets – one day it's the Earth, the next, the moon or even Mars.'— Melissa Woodley, Time Out Australia travel and news editor Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena (Los Angeles) 'Rembrandt, Picasso, Van Gogh and a regionally unparalleled collection of South and Southeast Asian sculpture – in almost any other city, the Norton Simon's stellar collection would make it the art museum. But aside from its starring role as the TV backdrop to the annual Rose Parade, the Pasadena museum often gets second billing to its Los Angeles neighbors – which, luckily for you, means a bit more breathing room in its lovely sculpture garden (temporarily closed due to construction).' — Micheal Juliano, Time Out Los Angeles editor Museum of Desire, Melbourne 'This newcomer to Melbourne's museum scene is an adults-only, multi-sensory space designed to celebrate all things love, pleasure, and yes, sex. With more than 25 amorous activations, it's all about flirty fun with an aim to switch up social norms around desire and sexuality.'— Leah Glynn, Time Out Melbourne editor
RNZ News
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Darren Pickering: the best lessons in life are free
This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions. Darren Pickering Photo: Adam Hodgson Darren Pickering didn't need a teacher to learn the piano, just a tape recorder and a couple of very supportive parents. Growing up as an only child in Gisborne, Pickering spent many hours in his room listening to pop and rock music, then recording his own attempts at the keyboard on cassette tape. Listening back, he developed his own sense of what worked. Later, when he heard jazz pianists for the first time - the likes of Bill Evans, for example - he did the same. For Pickering, developing his own inner ear was a crucial part of his musical development; the web is full of videos showing musicians how to perform, how to sound. That's great on one level, but are musicians learning to be artists, or just to imitate? All the music on Pickering's album Three is his own. The album is the third in his Darren Pickering Small Worlds series, released on Rattle Records. He spoke with RNZ Concert's Bryan Crump about the album, and some of the other musical projects he's involved in. Now based in Christchurch, he's one of the most sought-after session musicians in a busy music scene that encompasses everything from alt-country to synth-pop. Pickering told Crump he values his time making other people's music as much as he does making his own - nothing beats exposure to different genres when it comes to stimulating creativity. And Pickering has a whole backlog of his own ideas waiting for an outlet. Only these days he records them onto his smartphone, rather than cassette. Darren Pickering Small Worlds. From left: Pete Fleming, Heather Webb, Jono Blackie, Darren Pickering Photo: G. Easterbrook
Telegraph
02-03-2025
- Lifestyle
- Telegraph
Seven ways being more social than ever has helped me stay healthy at 92
For the first few decades of my life, I was quite a quiet person. But starting my own business – opening a model railway shop in King's Cross, which I ran for nearly 50 years – really brought me out of my shell. But it is since my wife died in 2018 that I've become my most social. I nursed her through the last few years of her life and some of her final words to me were: 'Now I'm going, you can go out and enjoy yourself.' And that's what I've done. I lead a very active life, certainly for my age – weekly jazz gigs, meals out with close friends and even yoga classes. It sounds like I'm boasting but nobody believes that I'm 92. Most people seem to think I'm in my late 70s or early 80s. I credit this with the fact that I was a keen racing cyclist in my teens and early 20s. It was physically demanding and such a workout that I think it set me up to age well. My vision and reflexes are good and my hearing is still in decent nick. My leg is the only thing that gives me any bother and it limits me from walking too far. But it doesn't stop me from seeing my friends daily. I love meeting new people and, I probably shouldn't say, but I do have a reputation as a ladies' man – most of my friends happen to be women. Here are some of the activities I do that are keeping me physically, and mentally, young for my age. Driving to jazz gigs I started listening to jazz when I was about 11 and I've enjoyed it ever since. I grew up surrounded by music as my family had a record business in Chapel Market, Islington. I listen to all sorts of jazz but Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald are my favourites. I regularly go out to jazz gigs and often drive to get there (my optician said I've got 90 per cent of my vision and I hope to be driving for a few more years). It's a social activity, as I usually bring along one of my friends, who lives in the same active retirement home that I do and also happens to be a fan of jazz. Or, I'll pick up my children or some cousins and take them out to the 606 Club in Chelsea on a Friday evening. I also run a jazz appreciation group at my local u3a (a collection of interest groups that encourage older people to come together). Attending life drawing classes Around once a month, I go to a life drawing class. It really helps my focus – I have to concentrate pretty hard on what I'm doing. There's around 15 to 20 of us and it's sociable because we often go to the pub afterwards. I also paint in my spare time, a hobby I picked up after I retired. I was good as a child and, when I look back, I reckon I should have gone to art school but it didn't come up in those days. Joining a book club I joined a book club just over a year ago and I've enjoyed all of the books that we've read, including Small Worlds by Ghanaian-British author Caleb Azumah Nelson. Knowing that you're going to be discussing a book makes you read a bit more deeply and look for more things, rather than just enjoying the book. Going to a wine club I also belong to a u3a wine appreciation group now, which has steered me into drinking the right wines and knowing when the wine is good and when it's not so good. It sounds like I'm a terrible drinker and I do have wine almost every night but I do always limit myself to just the one glass – either red or white, depending on what I'm eating. Attending yoga and exercises classes I do a weekly in-person yoga class at the retirement home I live in. I don't know if it makes much difference for my physical health but I do enjoy it and find it relaxing. I also do an exercise class once a week which I'm perhaps not as good at. Watching the cycling I'm no longer cycling – I stopped in my mid-80s when my family became worried that if I got badly injured while out on the bike, I wouldn't be able to recover from it. But both my son, daughter-in-law and their two daughters are all keen cyclists and I'm still very interested in following bike racing and enjoy sitting down to watch it with my family. Organising a supper club I run a singles supper club through my local u3a. There's a group of eight to 14 of us who go out for a meal together. Each week, we'll have either a Sunday lunch or evening meal together at a favourite local gastropub in East Dulwich. We've all become great friends. Writing a jazz and art newsletter I occasionally write a Substack newsletter. Around half of the newsletter is about jazz and the other half is about art. I got the idea of that from my daughter, Sudi. I share it with friends and I've got about 40 or 50 people who read each one, which isn't too bad. Going on cruises I enjoyed the first cruise I went on so much that I immediately booked a second one and, since then, it's been two a year, which suits me. It's a nice, easy holiday which takes me to places where I wouldn't normally go. I've been to Norway, Venice and the Baltic countries. This year I'm going to Madeira and the Azores, followed by a second jaunt on a Mediterranean cruise. I book the trips on my own but this year I am meeting up with one lady I met on a previous cruise. It's very sociable and I'm looking forward to making new friends.
