Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a true work of art. The glass, titanium and limestone structure covers an area of 3.25 hectares and slopes down to the river, 16 meters below the level of Bilbao. Outside there are several fantastic installations by contemporary artists. Inside is a picturesque atrium, a flower petal-shaped ceiling, Gehri’s masterpiece, surrounded by 19 galleries on three floors, and they are connected by suspended ramp-railways held from the roof.
General Information
www.guggenheim-bilbao.es94 435 90 00Closed Mon. through Sept.-June.Entrance feeDaily, free guided tours in English from 16.00
.No matter how many photos of the Guggenheim Museum you see, the reality is still shocking. Those curved titanium slabs reflecting mountains, clouds and river in an endless play of light and shade seem to deny all logic. Thanks to architect Frank Gehry, Bilbao is on the cultural map of the world. This building has become one of the symbols of Spain of the new millennium.
.The idea of creating a museum began in the late 80s, when the Basque authorities decided to transform the old port area to boost the city’s economy. In 1992, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation joined the plan, and in October 1997, architect Gehry’s audacious project was realized: the museum opened to thunderous applause. The core of the building is a 50-meter-high atrium surrounded by communicating blocks comprising 19 galleries, an auditorium, a restaurant, and offices. All of it is made of glass, steel and limestone. Transparent elevators, curly passages, terraces and interior balconies are awe-inspiring. This building, where all architectural rules are broken, has become a vivid expression of Basque courage.
About half of the total area (24,000 square meters) is exposition space. The exhibition hall, the largest in the world, is 130 meters long. There are other halls designed for special shows and other events.
Along with museums in New York and Venice (Solomon Guggenheim and Peggy Guggenheim), the museum in Bilbao has a brilliant collection of 20th century art. The exhibitions are constantly changing, giving you the opportunity to compare different artistic movements and the work of artists from the United States and Europe. Early avant-garde artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Cezanne and Pablo Picasso can neighbor here with Constantin Brancusi, Piet Mondrian or Joseph Beuys. Works by Max Ernst, Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp and American abstractionists and Pop Art masters such as Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Motherwell, James Rosenquist, Clifford Still and Andy Warhol can be seen in galleries 103 and 105 on the second and third floors.
The rooms dedicated to contemporary Spanish art exhibit leading Spanish and Basque artists.
.There is a strong emphasis on new forms. For example, an installation by Christian Boltanski is combined with a photomontage by Gilbert and George and a painting by Julian Schnabel. Multimedia and other specific means give an insight into the work of Francesco Clemente, Sol LeWitt, Fujiko Nakaya, Richard Serra, and in the corner of the atrium there is a witty LED installation by Jenny Holzer. There are also solo exhibitions of 20th-century masters, such as Anselm Kiefer..
