LEGO Art 31210 Modern Art review

31210 Modern Art is the ideal LEGO set for any would-be artists whose talents with bricks outweigh anything they can do with paints and a canvas.

LEGO Art 31210 Modern Art is another entry in the LEGO Group’s recent flurry of sets that encourages the builder to decide its final form. Where younger builders can get creative with LEGO DREAMZzz, older fans might want to give 31210 Modern Art a go.

While the box images might look amusing at first, with the primary version of 31210 Modern Art that is front and centre of the packaging looking a lot like a bulging, swollen face, the versatility of the set makes for a truly engaging experience that will, in theory, never end.

— LEGO Art 31210 Modern Art set details —

Theme: LEGO Art Set name: 31210 Modern Art Release: August 1, 2023

Price: £44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99 Pieces: 805 Minifigures: 0

LEGO: Order now

— Where to buy LEGO Art 31210 Modern Art—

LEGO Art 31210 Modern Art will be available to buy from LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores from August 1, 2023, with the possibility of being sold through third-party retailers as well.

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— LEGO Art 31210 Modern Art build —

If we’re going to get philosophical about it, the building process of LEGO Art 31210 Modern Art is never truly over. The instructions walk you through the creation of various smaller elements, ranging from pink and blue L-shaped parts to larger, chunky circles and semi-circles of black and white. The variety of colours really does pop, capturing the vividness of the modern art pieces that the set is aiming to evoke.

Once you’ve completed those, it’s time to get creative. If art was never your thing, then the instructions offer you four different variations to build. One is clearly a face (albeit swollen and somewhat misshapen), while the other three leave it up to you to interpret. If you want our guesses, however, we think they depict a chicken, a clock, and a bicycle respectively.

But the fun’s not over yet. You don’t need to follow any of these instructions and can now use the brick-built elements to create something that’s entirely your own. This is the point where 31210 Modern Art transforms from a slightly off-putting entry to the LEGO Art theme and becomes truly engaging. We had far more fun rearranging the smaller elements to create miniature works of art, planning new concepts, and seeing how every section could align on the white backing frame than in building any of the artistic parts themselves.

It’s worth noting that all the brightly-coloured elements don’t quite slide on to the frame as smoothly as acrylic paints would. Some of the parts, particularly the largest blue circle, take some coaxing to get on, leaving red welts on your fingers after several attempts of easing them on. Plus, once you’ve got some but not all of the elements secured on the frame, placing more on can disrupt and dislodge others, meaning you’re forced to start again. But then again, what is art without pain?

Despite the somewhat tricky business of taking apart and rebuilding 31210 Modern Art, having a LEGO set that you can create virtually anything out of evokes the same feelings as being a kid with a LEGO Classic box again. For many older LEGO fans, it might have been a while since you built something yourself, rather than following instructions, and the blend between the two in 31210 is a pleasant reminder of what LEGO is at its core: a means of creativity.

Ultimately, modern art is a wide-ranging and indefinable genre. 31210 Modern Art captures the spirit of experimentation and abstraction in a way that only LEGO sets can, making for an engaging experience that ends whenever the builder wants it to. It’s a set that you can keep coming back to for as long as you please, offering customisation and freedom for those that want it.

— LEGO Art 31210 Modern Art price —

As one of the cheapest sets in the LEGO Art theme at £44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99, 31210 Modern Art gets a lot of bang for its buck by being made up of relatively few parts. Comparing it to the similarly-sized 31207 Floral Art, for example, sees 31210 with around a quarter of the pieces – but those elements go a lot further than the hundreds of studs in 31207.

— LEGO Art 31210 Modern Art pictures —

— LEGO Art 31210 Modern Art pros and cons —

31210 Modern Art is a small but mighty entry into the LEGO Art theme, providing genuine customisation options that make for a potentially limitless experience. While the white brick-built frame might contain it physically, the versatility of the buildable elements mean you can truly do as you please with it. Don’t like any of the options on the box? Create a new one! Want a circle made out of blue instead of black? Build it yourself!

By that logic, it’s virtually impossible not to like this set. Pairing creativity with brick-building can’t really go wrong and you’ll be surprised at how engaging the experience ends up becoming.

31210 Modern Art pros	31210 Modern Art cons
Creates space for creativity in a truly engaging way	Separating and rebuilding can be tricky, even with a separator
Vibrant colours make for an impressive final display	Repetitive and boring build process – until the final steps
Its versatility mean you never really have to be finished with it

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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— Alternatives to LEGO Art 31210 Modern Art —

The LEGO Art theme has rapidly grown over the last few years, as the LEGO Group invests more and more into the older builder market. For £45 more than 31210 Modern Art, you can get 31208 Hokusai – The Great Wave, or for over £100 more, LEGO Ideas 21333 Vincent van Gogh – The Starry Night, both of which are more recognisable pieces of art and look a bit more impressive than any of the final versions of 31210 Modern Art.

Still, when it comes to the experience of being able to really create your own piece of art, 31210 is unmatched – aside from actually painting something. While 31207 Floral Art is at a similar price point and also has the opportunity to customise your final build, 31210 Modern Art offers enough options that you could really do whatever you like with it.

— LEGO Art 31210 Modern Art FAQs —