The Guggenheim Museum - Bilbao

We have for many issues now (apart from our trip to La Sagrada Familia) visited old and ancient monuments, so I thought it would make a nice change to visit somewhere new and modern. And I couldn’t think of anything more modern and impressive than the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, so come on – let’s go!

There are Guggenheim museums in many places in the world, in New York and Las Vegas, in Berlin, in Venice – and right on out own doorstep, in Bilbao! The Guggenheim Foundation, which is ‘dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of art, architecture, and other manifestations of visual culture, primarily of the modern and contemporary periods; and to the collection, conservation, and study of the art of our time’, owns the two museums in the States and the one in Venice, and it provides management and programming for the ones in Berlin and Bilbao.

The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is set on the Estuary of Bilbao, near the classical district, the so-called ‘Ensanche’ with its many shops and cafés, and with the slopes of Mount Artxanda as a backdrop.

The building was designed by the American architect Frank O. Gehry and it is easily recognisable with its characteristic curving, twisted lines and interconnecting sections. The finish is a stunning mix of glass, titanium and limestone, and the whole design was so complex that it could only be carried out with the help of computers and space technology. 

The true heart of the building is the atrium, which is over 50 metres high and flooded with light thanks to its enormous windows. It serves as a place of arrival, orientation and relaxation for the visitors. From here you can reach any other part of the building, be it the exhibition rooms, the restaurant, the café, the store or the bookshop.

The total floor space of the building is 24,000m2, of which 11,000m2 are dedicated to exhibitions. There are 20 galleries, some of which are of a traditional, rectangular shape, others are spaces of unusual irregularity. The traditionally shaped galleries are either high-ceilinged or on two floors with lower ceilings. The irregularly shaped galleries are easily identified from the outside thanks to their shapes which are covered in titanium.

There is always on display a mixture of permanent collections and transient exhibitions.
 
The permanent Guggenheim collections are comprised of the works belonging to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the works acquired through the program of commissions at the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin, as well as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao's own collection. Together, the collections offer a comprehensive overview of the visual arts of the 20th century.

Some of the permanent collections can also be enjoyed outside the building where you will find for example ‘Puppy’ and ‘Maman’.

‘Puppy’ is a 12 metre high sculpture of a West Highland terrier by the artist Jeff Koons. It represents today’s pet culture. ‘Puppy’ is covered in some 40,000 flowering plants, which are changed twice a year to don the flowers of the season.

‘Maman’ is a bronze, steel and marble sculpture by the French artist Louise Bourgois. It is a giant spider, 10 metres tall, one of a series of reproductions by the same artist. The spider  represents the mother figure as well as the complexity and contradictions of nature, whereby for example the spider spins her web both to catch her prey and to protect her offspring.

The building in itself is a work of art that it takes time to really comprehend and appreciate; it is surrounded by fascinating sculptures and situated in a stunning setting. You can visit the restaurant, coffee bar, store and book shop directly from the exterior, so without even entering the building, a visit there is a great experience.

However, the admittance fee is very reasonable and it is definitely worth taking the time to have a look around inside as well. You needn’t be a great connoisseur of art to spend a really enjoyable day at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, there is something for everybody and it will be an experience you won’t forget for a long time!