M. Ward: When I finished my first record back in 2000, the first European companies to support my music were based in Brussels (62TV) and Paris (Le Disque Mange Tout). So I spent a lot of time traveling around western Europe playing music and trying to learn French, but also finding time to play le touriste américain. I feel fortunate that I’ve had the time to see some of the greatest museums and public spaces in the world. They have blown my mind too many times to mention.
Ward: Another maybe obvious choice, but one that I can’t leave off because I thought Van Gogh was boring before going to this museum. I remember specifically when I had the chance to visit the basement floor and see his early sketches. The presentation is not perfect and maybe overly dramatized where it didn’t need to be, but it has the advantage of telling just one guy’s story in a spacious place without the noise of too many other artists’ work. I’ve realized over time that my favorite museums are less-is-more—I don’t know who can take in hundreds of ideas from who knows who and who knows where in one day. Sometimes one good idea is enough; the idea here is V.V.’s story using V.V.’s paintings—that’s enough.
Video after the jump.
