Ghost advertising, Mill Valley, California

It's not just the color

With the opening of the Brandhorst just around the corner, the Pinakothek der Moderne looks more alienating than ever. Worse, the galleries aren't laid out well, and the light is relentlessly cold no matter what the weather. On a grey day like the one on which this photo was taken, this Pinakothek is downright gloomy. Designed by Stephan Braunfels, the museum opened in 2002 — startlingly recent, considering how remote and aloof it seems. I'd have thought those qualities a thing of the past by then, especially in a civic building.
The collection, however, is outstanding, and the exhibitions change frequently. Notable on this visit: three rooms of Dan Flavin light sculptures, and quite a few galleries filled with the work of Joseph Beuys, which I generally don't like but found somewhat compelling on this occasion. Maybe they just suited the gloomy weather…

Alte Nord Friedhof, Munich

Museum Brandhorst exterior

Exterior of the newly opened Museum Brandhorst in Munich, by Sauerbruch Hutton architects of Berlin.
It's worth looking at the museum's website if you want to see better images, i.e. ones shot with a real camera instead of an iPhone: http://www.museum-brandhorst.de/en/building/architecture.html

Cy Twombly at Museum Brandhorst, Munich

I've never been a big fan of Cy Twombly's work — the crudity of its execution has never really appealed to me — but the effect of being surrounded by five of his supersize canvases in this enormous gallery at the Museum Brandhorst is magnificent.

Anselm Kiefer at Museum Brandhorst, Munich

"Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité"

Another life goal achieved...

Elixir of the gods: Pilsner Urquell, fresh from the tap in Pilsen, Bohemia. And how could I pass up the Restaurant Svejk, having read The Good Soldier Svejk? (It's hilarious — thanks to H for recommending it.)