Buy skip-the-line tickets online to visit the MOCO Amsterdam Modern and Contemporary Art Museum with Banksy Exhibition and other street artists on Museumplein.
MOCO Amsterdam is a small privately-owned museum of modern and contemporary art conveniently located on Museumplein near the Van Gogh, Rijks, and Stedelijk art museums. MOCO is far smaller than the three giants of the Amsterdam art scene but hugely popular. The museum exhibits only a small number of works by very famous artists with the larger Banksy exhibition particularly popular. Younger visitors also have fun in the more interactive installations in the basement which seemed designed with Instagram photos and TikTok videos in mind. Buy tickets online in advance for time-slot reservations and skip-the-line admission — also note many ticket combinations that give further discounts such as other museums, canal cruises, and even nightclubs.
Visit MOCO Amsterdam with Banksy Exhibition
MOCO Amsterdam is a fairly new but very popular museum of MOdern and COntemporay art. It combines permanent exhibitions of iconic works by modern masters, contemporary artists, and Banksy with more temporary shows of further creators, street artists, and very popular digital immersive art.
The MOCO Amsterdam is in a former villa and thus much smaller than the nearby purpose-built public museums and art galleries. Many of the visitors seem to find that an advantage — visiting MOCO is fun and not a cultural overload of endless galleries and paintings.
Modern and Contemporary Masters
Modern and Contemporary masters in the MOCO Amsterdam include the names of the most iconic artists since the second half of the twentieth century. It is allowed to take close-up photos with all the works and in some cases become part of the art itself.
Visitors are guided to the top floor to start the visit with the modern and contemporary art permanent exhibitions. At the top of the staircase, take a selfie with Stick’s Little Friend (2013). Use Mungo Thomson’s large mirror to become Time Person of the Year, or combine the two and let Little Friend be Person of the Year. See how Damien Hirst created Mickey (2016) using only 12 dots.
Famous artists include Andy Warhol (Dollar, 1982, and Shoes (Deluxe Edition), 1980), Keith Haring (Untitled — Telephone, 1981), Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jeff Koons (Untitled — Donkey, 1997, and Balloon Venus, 2013), Takashi Murakami (Louis Vuitton Monograms, 2007), Takashi Murakami x Virgil Abloh (Times, 2018), and Kaws (What Party Grey, 2020).
Yayoi Kusama exhibitions are currently popular worldwide and the MOCO Amsterdam has several polka dot pumpkins and an immersive experience. (The nearby Stedelijk Museum has a large early Kusama installation — Aggregation: One Thousand Boats Show, 1963.)
Some very powerful contemporary works include a photo collage by JR (The Gun Chronicles: A Story of America, composition #1, USA, 2018), a video by performance artist Marina Abramovic (The Hero), and the enormous, almost photographic, oil paintings by The Kid (The Future is Old, Destroy Me, and I Saw the Sun Begin to Dim / Pinocchio, 2018-2019).
Banksy Exhibition in the MOCO Amsterdam
For many, the Banksy Exhibition on the ground floor of the MOCO Amsterdam is the main reason to visit. More than a dozen Banksy works are on display — all were authenticated as real Banksy works by Pest Control.
The Banksy works on display include the famous Girl and Balloon, 2003; Bean Field, 2009; Smiling Copper (Panel A&B), 2002, and Di-Faced Tenner, 2004.
Banksy not only creates paintings and stencils but also sculpture works such as the marble Picasso, 2009, and olive-wood Watch Tower, 2007.
Instagram Perfect Digital Immersive Art Spaces
Although there are many opportunities in the modern and contemporary art exhibitions for photos and immersive experiences, it is on the basement floor where digital immersive art allows visitors to really become part of the art, and taking photos or videos is almost impossible not to do. (Even the older couple who earlier during my most recent visit to the MOCO described the view of the Rijksmuseum from the top floor as the best part of the museum had their phones out here!).
The current installation rooms are by Studio Irma and include We All Live in Bubbles, Kaleidoscope Room, Diamond Matrix, Connect The Dots, and Universe. Enter the rooms, they were not designed to be admired from the doorway.
MOCO Amsterdam Visitor’s Information
Opening Hours
MOCO Amsterdam is open daily, mostly from 9:00 to 19:00 but closing at 21:00 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Admission to the small garden is free and most of the works here may be seen through the fence at any time during closing hours too. Currently visiting is a large red gummy bear — Vandal Gummy by WhIsBe (short for What is Beauty but a bit long while an explanation is required).
Buy Tickets for MOCO Amsterdam and Banksy Exhibition
Standard admission tickets for MOCO Amsterdam are around €23 for adults with students and youths 7 to 17 receiving around €3 discount. Buying online is the cheapest with early morning and weekday evening tickets often discounted.
The biggest criticism of the MOCO Amsterdam is the price of tickets — far more art may be seen in the nearby state museums but savings are possible when combining admission with further sights or using city cards.
Save with MOCO Amsterdam Combination Tickets
Admission to the MOCO is included in many city passes such as the I Amsterdam Card, Go City Amsterdam Card, and Amsterdam: Go City Explorer Pass — make free reservations on the MOCO website to ensure time-slot admission and no queueing. The Dutch Museumkaart is NOT accepted.
Discounts are often available if combining MOCO tickets with further attractions. Interesting options include MOCO and admission to 15 nightclubs (including a drink and taxi ride), the Xtra Cold Icebar, or Our House Museum of Electronic Dance Music. Combinations are also possible with further social media favorite locations such as the Youseum, The Upside Down, Artis Zoo, or Madame Tussauds.
Small savings are also given on combinations with more traditional activities and sights such as a canal cruise, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Rijksmuseum. Ironically, no combination deals are currently offered with the Stedelijk Museum — the one museum that can really give the MOCO a run for its money in the modern art category.
Transportation to MOCO Amsterdam and Banksy Exhibition
Getting to MOCO Amsterdam is very easy on public transportation (or cycling). The address of the villa is Honthorststraat 20 but far easier is knowing that it is on Museumplein between the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk or Van Gogh Museums. Many trams and buses stop almost directly in front of the MOCO, including the airport bus. Many further trams and buses stop within easy walking distance.
Many transportation passes are available for travel to or in Amsterdam.
