The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is an architectural masterpiece from its impeccable titanium, glass and limestone curved walls to its brightly lit atrium and fabulous exhibitions taking you on artistic journey like no other. The Museum was designed by a Canadian-American architect named Frank Gehry and was inaugurated on 18 October 1997 by King Juan Carlos I of Spain. In 2010, the World Architecture Survey had even termed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao as one of the most important works since 1980.
There are two reasons to why this museum will always have a place in my heart: one being its location in the Basque country – the region where I have spent most of my summers with father’s family in both France and Spain; as the Basque expands over both nations. I have also an obsession with everything Basque – from its food to its fashion and stunning architecture.
Secondly, the museum is a part of the Solomon R. Guggenheim foundation, which is named after my great-great-granduncle Solomon. Benjamin (Soloman’s brother) had a daughter named Peggy Guggenheim; who is quite well known in the modern art world and has her own private collection in the Guggenheim Museum in Venice. To not make this family connection any more confusing, Peggy is the sister of my mother’s grandmother – Hazel Guggenheim. Such deep connections and experiences on both sides of my family has lead me to this wonderful site.
To truly admire the museum’s modern and contemporary exhibitions and pieces, I recommended starting your tour by a lovely structure known as “The Puppy”. It is from one of my favourite contemporary artists called Jeff Koons. The Puppy is a West highland terrier carpeted in flowers and is known to foster optimism and instill “confidence and security”. It is the guardian of the museum.
Once you enter the building, you will commence in the atrium. You must take a few minutes here to truly admire the architectural ingenuity of its walls, spaces and textures at each of its three levels. The museum has a number of permanent pieces but I will first walk you through the temporary exhibitions featured during my visit in the summer of 2019:
- Jenny Holzer: “Things Indescribable” – a contemporary artist whom loves sharing her views on political acts of violence against humanity through large scale installations such as billboards, posters, LED signs and light projections. Her work on display was quite moving; it filled my mind with knowledge of various acts of oppression and violence that occurred during periods to which I was previously unaware.
- Lucio Fontana: “On the Threshold” encompassed pieces that have systemic cuts across the center of painted canvas that were created in the 1950s and 60s depicting the art of “spatialism”, which focuses on the post-war age and cyberspace.
The museum’s permanent exhibitions included works from Andy Warhol, Richard Serra and Eduardo Chillida. On the exterior of the building, along the river, you come across more fabulous works like Jeff Koons’ “Tulips” and Louise Bourgeois’s “Maman” (which is a super sized Spider). The design of the building is meant to signify a boat sailing out onto water i.e. the museum’s water channel appears to be connected to and floating on the Nervion River. The best view of the museum is from the riverside, where you can see all of the museum’s unique features.
I also highly recommend visiting the Neura restaurant! It is located just next to the Maman structure and takes its name from the Latin of the “Nervion river”. It is a Michelin star one of a kind dining experience especially as you have a view from your table of one of the most famous buildings of the 21st century.
Drop a comment if have been and let me know which exhibition or piece is your favourite!