Museum shops are no longer just known for their art postcards, posters and books like they used to but their customers are traveling the world to find the most unique gifts, gadgets and bijoux.
IRMA selected three of her favorites where she will make her choice for unique presents and stationary. Some of them also have excellent cafes and lunches. You can shop online or offline — either way, it’s a very art-filled and inspiring experience.
NEUE GALERIE, New York
This fantastic museum for German and Austrian art from the early twentieth century has an equally amazing museum shop. Inspired by the collections and exhibitions, it offers a wide range of products, from fine paper and textiles to jewelry, homeware, glass and ceramics that make lovely gifts to yourself and others. How about a geometric Bauhaus shawl, a journal covered in Wiener Werkstätte fabric or a Rose Balm Lipstick inspired by the lips of Adele Bloch-Bauer in Gustav Klimt’s masterful portrait of 1907. Finish up your visit with a warm apple strudel and melange coffee at the beautiful in-house restaurant.
GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM, Bilbao
The Gehry-designed masterpiece is also home to an excellent museum store and bookstore, which you can pop in independent of a museum visit. The bookstore has an outstanding selection of art, design and architecture books, while the design store showcases unique jewelry, textile designs, decorative items and more in custom-made shelves and vitrines. Of course they also carry classic design brands like Alessi and Vitra, but my tip are the more individual creations like a hand-painted, silk and wool blend blanket inspired by the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao architecture, designed by Estra Wurzer exclusively for the museum.
NATIONAL GALLERY, Singapore
The recently reinvented museum shop, Gallery & Co., is not your run-of-the-mill museum gift store. The sprawling 800 square meter shop is a partnership between the National Gallery and lifestyle and design collective & Co. Chock-full of cool souvenirs and design items from around the world as well as by local designers, it is fun to browse. We particularly like the stylish totes, notebooks and watches decorated with prints modelled after the floor tiles of the museum. The lifestyle concept space is also home to a casual dining area.