MIMA — Attraction in Great Britain

The main issue with MIMA is that it suffers from a complete identity crisis. The building itself is beautiful and the odd exhibition is interesting, but in general the exhibitions have a very 'me too' quality to them. The gallery space is relatively small and clearly the allocated budget doesn't allow MIMA to compete with art galleries in larger towns and cities, so it does little to attract visitors from outside of the area. They have the perfect opportunity to change tact and instead try and make the gallery and works more relevant to Middlesbrough itself and the people who live there, but the decision makers are clearly out of touch. You can't expect the common man or woman on the street to suddenly take an interest in something they deem as far too abstract and unrelatable. That isn't to say that it's impossible to peak the interest of the average citizen of Middlesbrough, just that the board of decision makers are stubborn and don't seem to care about this issue. In any situation where a town or public space suffers from an identity crisis, people will be able to forge an identity and care about that public space if they feel a sense of involvement or ownership. Art by the people, for the people. I'm certain we have plenty of local artists who would be willing to display their work. Surely this would be more relevant than slabs of stone next to iPhones. It didn't take a genius to come...

The staff were lovely, very friendly. The exhibitions however were dull - the "modern art" I could have done better myself and my daughter who is currently studying art for her GCSEs could have certainly excelled at and done a fantastic display instead of what we actually saw. Frankly, what was on the walls was utter rubbish. Torn bits of blankets displayed behind glass; what's that supposed to be?! As for the one which was a blot of ink on a folded piece of paper, squished, and then re-opened - I used to do that in primary school, but apparently it's now "modern art". Who knew?! The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were full of contempt and hate, were quite graphic in some of the terms used, and if that's "art" you can keep it. One of the videos playing in the gallery was very freakish and scary, certainly not for young children. I'm glad I've been, very glad it was free entry, but certainly won't ever go again. It's a waste...

The car park is small but has a few disabled places. The entrance from this carpark is closed due to building work, but there are no directions of how to get in. My friend in a wheelchair wasnt sure how to get in either. I must be getting old but the sides and rear of this building are ugly. The glass front looks much nicer. FREE ENTRY. We specifically went to see the proggy mats which were displayed in the foyer/shop area and were very interesting. One room had some bells and kettle bells. Lift to all floors. 1st floor is closed for alterations and 2nd floor has 'art' pictures on display. It's one of those galleries where they display a few tiny, non-descript pictures of what I've no idea in a very large room. An attendant bit my head off when I touched an item to feel the texture of it - no do not touch signs. It also has a basic coffee shop. The shop has a good selection of items but is expensive. Would I go back...