Today is World Art Day according to The International Association of Art because April 15 is also Leonardo da Vinci's birthday (more info on IAA can be found here: http://www.iaa-europe.eu). So how can one celebrate World Art Day? Besides having lots of cake, you should of course look at art! 

Here's a little guide:

Go to a museum, a gallery, an exhibition and look for art, or go to any public art work that catches your eye. It can be old, it can be the latest scream, it can be by the most famous artist ever or an amateur piece by your aunt. The good thing about art is that the more you see, the more you learn. And not just about art, you also learn an awful lot about yourself - so do not worry too much about quality.

While looking at a sculpture, a painting, a performance or a video - basically at the art work of your choice - you can ask yourself one or many of the following questions:

1) What am I looking at? How could I describe it to someone else?

2) What is this piece of art telling me? Does it evoke emotions or memories? Is it illustrating something? Does it make me curious or furious, and if so why?

3) How is it made? What technique or method is used? 

4) How does the colours, movements, actions, symbols, or its size and placement influence me? How am I supposed to look at it - am I seeing it from above, from below, close up or from a distance? How is the art work framed?

5) What might be the context? Is is referring to political issues, historical events, or other current subjects or questions? Is there  written information close to the art work - what does it say and does it influence my understanding of the art work? Does the place/space/room where it is affect my reading?

6) Who is the artist? What is his/her background and what else have the artist done besides this piece? 

If you do this at your first, second, third visit you will probably notice how you can reach a deeper understanding of art. And please use art historians, guides at museums and galleries (like my friend Ivar showing Heart of Trees by Jaume Plensa in Umedalens Skulpturpark in the above photo), the internet, or take courses in art history to learn even more.

Happy World Art Day!