Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
I have a bucket list of museums. The Guggenheim in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain, had been on top of that list for a long time. Recently I was lucky enough to cross it off.
What had attracted me most to this museum was its architecture. Gehry’s iconic forms have always fascinated me and every photo I saw of it increased my desire to see it in real life.
Having finally decided to book a trip to the Basque Country I wanted to increase anticipation and left the stay at Bilbao and the visit to the Guggenheim till the end of our holiday. We flew to Bilbao but first we went North along the Atlantic coast, taking in Chillida’s sculptures in his hometown of San Sebastian. They are definitely worth the trip, monumental abstract metal structures, called “The Comb of the Wind”, anchored to the shoreline, at one with the elements.
On returning to Bilbao we entered the city from the North. The map told me the highway will lead straight past the museum as it crosses the Nervion river. So when the navigation system showed that we were about to approach the bridge I felt an excitement I couldn't believe. It was as if Christmas had come early (and I was still a child).
We whizzed past it - it's inadvisable to slow down on the highway - but there it was on the riverbank, shimmering in all its splendour. 'Shimmering' because Gehry chose to cover the structure with titanium tiles that reflect the sun and due to their fine and soft texture ripple in the wind. The choice of this material makes the building appear organic and alive, yet at the same time reminds you of Bilbao’s industrial past.
Later on I walked towards it from the city centre and as soon as it came into view I kept stopping to take pictures as I approached it. For me it is one of those idiosyncratic buildings - like the Sydney opera house - that will fit in anywhere and with any other architectural style.
Apart from its art collection on the inside it is also well know for the large sculptures that surround it. If you approach from the street that runs high along the river, the first one you see is Jeff Koons' ‘Puppy’ in its blooming glory. As you turn the corner and walk down the stairs around the building there is a metal sculpture by Anish Kapoor called ‘Tall Tree and The Eye”, reminiscent of Brussels’ Atomium. Behind the building, almost at the same level as the river there is a kind of moat with an island that can be accessed from inside the atrium which holds another Jeff Koons sculpture called “Tulips’.
The most amazing feature of this moat is Fujiko Nakaya’s fog sculpture. Nozzles periodically release fog which then spreads out over the water and spills over the sides onto the promenade on the river bank enveloping sculptures and people alike.
Also on this promenade resides my personal favourite, ‘Maman’ by Louise Bourgeois, a 9-metre tall spider made out of bronze, marble and stainless steel . It is just amazing!
Once you enter the building, you have to enjoy the dimensions of the atrium before you start your walk around the museum. What appealed to me is that the collection isn’t too vast and you can actually take it all in in a few well spent hours. I started with Richard Serra’s installation ‘The Matter of Time’, eight gigantic sculptures in weathered steel that will change your perception of space.
The galleries hold masterpieces by Andy Warhol, Yves Klein, Rauschenberg and fascinating works by Cy Twombly. There is of course a Rothko, works by Anselm Kiefer and more sculptures by Chillida and Oteiza and many more works covering the period from the mid 20th century to modern day. Just have a look at the collection to see what other modern and contemporary masterpieces are on display.
The museum also puts on temporary exhibitions. I was lucky to visit when David Hockney’s ’82 portraits and 1 Still-life’ was on - an amazing contemporary portrait gallery of Hockney’s family, friends and even staff, painted in his inimitable style and an absolute joy to see.
The exhibition The Other Side covers six decades of the versatile work of the "unclassifiable" Belgian-born artist Henri Michaux. Part of his oeuvre shown here are his 'visions' that he painted after taking hallucinogenic substances. He also wrote poems and played with calligraphy and experimented with frottage. In him I discovered a versatile and fascinating artist with incredibly inspiring work; a "cult figure to many" as the brochure put it.
If you want to find out what else there is on offer click here and explore. You might find yourself booking a trip to Bilbao soon!
To view the pictures well, click on them and you will also find short descriptions. Note that the museum has a strict policy of "no photography" inside the galleries. I have therefore linked to the works of art and exhibtions in the text above.
