Lisbon's MAAT museum opens to public

LISBON, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Lisbon's new Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology opened to the public on Wednesday, attracting over 15,000 people.

The white building, which curves along the Tagus river, and was designed by British architect Amanda Levete, aims to open a new exciting chapter for contemporary art in the Portuguese capital, showcasing both national and international exhibitions.

The new landmark building opened with a large-scale installation, by French artist Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, who designed it especially for the site.

Gonzalez-Foerster called it Pynchon Park, an enclosure for clients to observe humans, and it occupies the thousand square metres of MAAT's oval gallery.

There was a VIP opening on Tuesday night, attended by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who highlighted the importance of this new museum to mark a new chapter of hope for the country.

"This is a portrait of Portugal's ambition," he said. "The Portuguese ambition is reflected in innovation, change and growth in order for there to be better economic, social and cultural conditions."