Gallery of Modern Art

It really pains me to write this as I was so looking forward to being impressed, but GoMA was seriously underwhelming for me :(
The building itself, both inside and out, is beautiful to say the least, looking like the archetypal grand old structure you’d add to your map in a retro Sim City game.
Seeing the equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington stood in front of the entrance, with a traffic cone plonked on his head, was great — just another representation of the humour of Glaswegians. It must be a long-​standing joke as the image was all over the merchandise in the gallery’s gift shop.
On the open plan ground floor there was an exhibition from one artist, and the floors above had a few others but some sections were completely devoid of any artworks — we’d walked around and seen everything in probably 15 – 20 minutes. I was amazed when I overheard some American tourists saying they’d spent an hour here.
Is there another modern art gallery in the city that I’ve missed? Did I visit on an off day? This can’t be all there is surely?

I love being a tourist in my own city when I have time, and we are so lucky to enjoy free entry to Glasgow’s museums, so I took a break from Christmas shopping to spend an hour or so in GoMA. I hadn’t been in a while and the exhibits have changed — there is a wide variety of contemporary work on display in different media. Art is subjective so I would say just go and see what piques your interest! Even if the work on show is not to your liking, the building itself is magnificent.
The shop is well worth a look and has some cool arty gifts and souvenirs. There’s also a café and public library downstairs.

The GOMA, is always a hit or a miss for me. I am a massive art fan, but not keen on modern art.
I think that some of the pieces they displace are easily overstated. However that is the point in art, to invoke feelings and opinions.
The gallery itself it a lovely building.

Whenever I’m in town with some time to spare, I pop in here.
First off modern art isn’t everyone’s tastes and its a hit or miss with me. Sometimes it really makes me think and I can really get into the abstract or depth behind pieces. Other times I don’t get it and find it crazy that someone got paid cold hard cash to create it.
So each time i walk in here I’m unsure if I’ll stay an hour or just 15 min.
With that said I do think it a MUST if in town, to at least peek into. Glasgow has some amazing artist that get shown here. PLUS Its FREE!
I also just discovered there is a library on the bottom floor !

Us ‘Weegie folks and visitors alike are certainly spoiled by the abundance of free things to do in Glasgow, GOMA included.
Over the years, I’ve seen some many of the gallery’s offerings; some of it lovely, some of it bonkers, but all worth seeing. Most recently, I visited the Alasdair Gray Spheres of Influence exhibition which was a great celebration of the Glasgow artist’s work and also the lives and art of those who inspired him. What’s inside is constantly changing so it’s always worth a peek. if it’s not for you, it’s not for you. With no pennies spent, you’ve nothing to lose.
I forget just how beautiful this building is; I continually forget how beautiful Glasgow is. Seriously. Walking back from Merchant City in the evening and catching sight of GOMA makes me feel like I’m a tourist in my own city. I’ve endless love for this city and it’s gems like the GOMA building that have me smitten all over again. So many feels.
An excellent attribute to the city!

Love it or hate it you just can’t ignore the Goma. The installations and exhibitions can be a bit hit and miss, but you don’t really want or expect predicatable crowd pleasers at a place called The Gallery of Modern Art. Its hard to miss this grand old building with its Corinthian pillars guarded by the iconic traffic cone hatted Duke of Wellington astride his horse.
The cherry on top, or should that be the cherry on the bottom, is the wee library hidden away down in the basement. Often overlooked, its a nice little haven of peace not so far from the madding crowd. Visitors to the city can make use of the free internet access on production of some ID. There are books, newspapers and magazines to peruse at leisure, a small café and a rather lovely little giftshop. Keep an eye out for talks and events at the library too. There’s even a kids zone. Its amazing just how many people have no idea its there!
I usually tell people visiting Glasgow to look up, but when it comes to the Goma you really should look down too!

I don’t even understand how you could NOT like the GoMA. Here’s why I like it:
It’s free — so if you don’t like the exhibit which is currently on, you can head on your merry way and be no lighter in the wallet for it.
The building is beautiful and iconic.
It is presided over by what is probably Glasgow’s most famous modern icon (or one of them at least) — the cone topped Wellington. I love how people went in an uproar at the suggestion of building something around the statue keep the cone off. I love the comedy of it. Brilliant.
It has some fantastic permanent collections, as well as a rotating collection.
It’s actually much larger inside then initial impressions.
The gift shop has some great quirky gifts rather than just boring old tourist/​museum items.
GoMA is a fantastic institution that should be appreciated. I think that people here take the free admission into museums for granted and they really shouldn’t — the ability to even pop in somewhere for 20 minutes and take in art while you wait for a friend is a fantastic thing and not one to be overlooked.

It’s a great place to see and enjoy the epic building even if you aren’t that into art. The exhibitions change all the time which is wonderful and you can’t beat donation/​free entry. The lifts are slow if you have a pram but you’ll eventually get there even when the buttons aren’t really working. There are about 4 – 5 galleries I believe and a children’s space where they can enjoy crafting.

I love GOMA and have visited here many times over the years. The building itself is just awesomely stunning.
When I popped in here yesterday, the ground floor gallery has a really weird exhibition of loads of old CRT TV’s showing people with their hands being surgically reattached. Definitely something I don’t understand and have no desire to ever see again. Moving on up, the gallery on the 2^nd floor has a great exhibit — paintings which reminds me of a smoother, darker, feminine version of Edvard Munch. Well worth a want in for.
The gift shop is pretty well stocked with the usual gallery/​museum tat — but the greeting cards they sell are superb.
Some of their exhibits over the years have been absolutely not for young kids so it’s maybe a good idea to check that out b before you take the family.

I have lived in Glasgow all my life and I have only just noticed this place at 24 years of age! This is such an awesome museum, I was just talking to my partner the other day how I really want to visit a modern art museum obviously not knowing there was one right in our home town!
They have some pretty cool exhibits here, I am not sure whether they change their exhibits every so often? I will need to revisit again soon to find out.
I don’t really understand modern art as such, but I did enjoy the gallery — different.
I noticed they had a coffee shop on the bottom floor as well, but didn’t get a chance to check that out too. There are 4 floors in the GOMA which is great for when your just looking for activities to burn some time!
I’m looking forward to coming back :) oh and its free!

I’ve been to GOMA many a time, but not recently enough to review the Gallery itself. I’ll have to make an effort to go next time so I can update this review!
What I will review is the gift shop. I LOVE Gallery gift shops. Skeptical people might think that’s the only reason I ever visit galleries. GOMA has a great gift shop and I love popping in for a browse. There’s always great stuff which is a little unusual and unlike the gifts you get at traditional shops — something for the art lover, people who are a little unusual and people who like to stretch their brains. There’s also a decent selection of Glasgow themed tat if you want to pick up a souvenir. Well worth a visit for the gift shop alone.

The Gallery of Modern Art is another amazing part of Glasgow city centre’s cultural activity and another amazingly free place to spend some time! We really are well served in this city for art, history and culture; see Kelvingrove and the People’s Palace for other great (free) attractions.
I don’t pretend to understand Modern Art but I do like to challenge myself and the gallery has many items to help visitors get to grips with the exhibitions. It also has a great wee gift shop, a well stocked library and a café to relax in too. They offer guided tours too and activities for childredn, so check the notice board or phone up and enquire!

There is enough space to fill here that most small exhibitions should feel well done by.
I visited today and although the exhibition was quite small, you can appreciate the space and potential the venue has.

Until you get the traffic cones off the statue of Wellington who other than Nelson is this countrys greatest hero all you will get off me is a single star. It is totally disrespectful not just to the memory of the man but think of all those scotsmen that memory reflects.

In the museum of modern art: a exposition called: ‘Everyday’ (6 pieces of art of artist of glasgow) you can actually understand the everyday part with out reading further information. If you start up stairs on gallery 4, there are very special Niki de Saint Phalle works, witch remains me of the Tarot Garden in Toscane (witch people must see because it is big, you can walk in the sculptures and tast them) outside of this building on the front (top) you see also work of her! Only the fact that this museum has work of this woman makes me excited, and wanna come back to this museum.
On gallery 3 they have more fancy work of many different artist, some of it are likeable others don’t, very personal! (like every kind of art is personal.) I think it is a good idea to have different artwork made out different materials and made by different artist, in one room:-).
There is a elevator, a free entry and okay toilets.

I loved this place.
I loved that there is the right amount of art that you can wander in on your lunch break or like us after lunch for a nice ramble and a short fix of culture.
Very friendly staff that answered all our questions about the exhibition that was on at the time.
The level of light that comes in is so impressive and gives it a vibrancy as a result, also the fact that it’s located in a busy section of the city again gives it an immediacy that a lot of galleries lack. This space makes art accessible and not something aloof.
Also the cone hat on the statue outside is class — very Glasgow humour in my opinion.

Die Gallery Of Modern Art in Glasgow ist total uninteressant. Das beste daran ist die zentrale Lage mitten in der Stadt am Royal Exchange Square. Wenn man hier etwas empfehlen kann, dann in umittelbarer Nähe den tollen Hemdenladen von THOMAS PINK, das ROGANO Seafood Restaurant sowie den GRILL ROOM at the Square, wo beachtliche Schönheiten auf hohen Stilettos die Treppe hinauf und hinunter stiegen.

Good lord, I’ve not reviewed this place? Either I’ve logged into someone else’s account whose not reviewed this place, or… heaven forbid, I’ve actually never put fingers to keypad and committed my opinions of this place to the annuls (hee hee) of Unilocal?
Aye, it appears to be the latter. Weird.
Anywhen. So this place has to be pretty much split in two when reviewing. First off, the building and the interior is just great. Very old, very grand (am i right in thinking it was someones house at some point? Tobacco lord of some sort?) and very much worth a nosey for this alone.
The second part though, I have issues over. Being the museum of modern art, it pretty much opens itself up to the ‘look it’s a picture of a crisp packet on a duck pond. Makes you think about life the universe and everything no?’ kind of art. Well folks, for me you’d need to be quackers (funny) to think some of this stuff is art and be worthy of presentation in such a central and beautiful building.
So yeah. Without launching into a huge diatribe in ‘modern art and why it’s the playground of the rich and those who cannie paint’, i’d recommend this place as a must visit for the building and maybe some of the art (the second floor gallery has an Alasdair Gray collection in just now).
A space that is awesome but poorly used? Aye maybe.

Interesting at some points and confusing at others. The first floor was the best part for me – they had a video that was hilarious called ‘The Door’.
There is an area where viewers can write comments, and half of them say ‘this is not art’, which was kind of disappointing for people who bothered to go into the museum.
Also, there is a banner that flashes different phrases which is the main part that confused me – the phrases seemed so random but either mad me really happy or really sad. I still don’t get it.

I remember when the Gallery of Modern Art first opened. It was exciting and added modernity to the museum culture of Glasgow.
My aunt (who I affectionately call Morris just in case you think I’m talking about a bloke) took me here many a time when I was younger. Morris supplied the museum installments and enriched my life with exhibits, encouraging me to talk about paintings and stuff. When I was younger I actually knew a lot about Scottish art. I dunno what happened but I blame puberty for turning my interested brain into a pile of mess while I pined (fruitlessly) for boys, so I see 1996 as the glory days of my intellectual capacity. Unfortunately.
So aye, those heady days of exploring art were great. It seemed like the exhibition space was used well back then, with exhibits coming and going every three months or so. They had permanent features downstairs, which included a tunnel made of lights which was oodles of fun for a kid to talk through, and a weird massive head thing you could go inside that I vividly remember smelling funny. But it was all brilliant. They even had a miniature model of a city that lit up, it was amazing.
Now I don’t know if I romanticise my earlier experiences with GoMA because I was young, but I have begun to realise this place is a shadow of its former self. It is like an empty shell. The basement has become a library, which is great since it’s in the centre of town but with so many beautiful buildings bricked up in the neighbouring Merchant City, the books may be better situated elsewhere to make way for art.
The less said about the ground floor the better — it seems to be going for the Tate approach and having one massive sculpture. Said sculpture or exhibit may be great but it seems empty and vacuous when there is so much space being wasted. It’s also been a good few years since I saw a good exhibition down here, the last one being the history of secterianism in football (dunno its actual name).
The most interesting exhibitions always seem to be bundled up to the third floor, like they’re being packed into the attic and discarded like old toys. But what I have seen up there has been great despite the smaller space. The last notable exhibition which took my breath away was called Tall Storeys. It was centred around the arts community operating in the Red Road flats and is moving and life changing. Check out the groundbreaking work conducted by the community at
When you see things like the Red Road photography snapped by kids in the area, the work put into it is inspiring (this particular group has inspired me to do my course at uni). I would like to see more locally sourced, modern art from all mediums shown in the GoMA more. They tell tales of this city that sinpire both locals and tourists alike. It’s these artistic stories which paint a picture of our city overall, and often to see the space wasted downstairs means that a lot of great artists are going unnoticed.
So why four star it? As Andrew said, the building is gorgeous. And it breaks my heart to be negative about a museum which I am so at home in, and which I used to love so dearly. However, currently I can’t help but feel that Glasgow’s art scene is throbbing at the pulse, which can’t be heard in the main exhibition space in here. I don’t want to criticise what art befalls this museum — certainly it hosts its fair share of interesting pieces — but it could be more! So I’ll four star, based on its potential to be as great as I once thought it was.

GoMA is a relatively new Glasgow establishment — or at lesat that’s the vibe that it gives off. It’s free and dedicated to modern art. There is also a downstairs library with a Costa coffee concession stand and plenty of space to relax with a book.
The gallery is split into 4 floors, formerly air, wind, fire, and water. Now I suppose it’s air, wind, fire, and library. The ground level generally has lots of mdern art by known artists, which changes less frequently than the other exhibitions. There is also a round area with a balcony in the middle, which is an intersting space for exhibits. They often host local exhibitions — for example, a few years ago when a large number of alternative kids hung around near the gallery, they did an exhibition on them. There’s always something interesting or thought-​provoking in the spiral area.
Upstairs there are lots of installations, including video art, documentaries, and sculpture. There is always something that even adults are dying to climb on, which I guess is a sign that concept art is still worth a visit.