Rothko – Guggenheim Bilbao- photo Mark Hayes Westall
Trump, Brexit, ‘America Great Again’, Refugees, The Wall, Hate, Fear
Sometimes it’s important to remember the wonderful things humans can create.
In 1997, the Guggenheim Bilbao opened its doors to the public for the first time. Despite considerable opposition, Frank Gehry’s amazingly beautiful museum eventually opened and rapidly elevated a failing former industrial port into a global city of culture. It was the first museum used to economically transform a region and led to many copies, sadly none of which have been able to come close to what it has achieved.
With nearly 20 million visitors to date, and over a third of those coming from the Basque Country and surrounding Spanish regions, the Guggenheim Bilbao has contributed nearly 4 billion euros to Spain’s national GDP and has maintained an average of 5,000 jobs in the region over its first 20 years.
But it has done more than this. It is a beacon of creativity, of hope. It proves that you can overcome small mindedness, racism, even corruption. Guggenheim Bilbao shows that if you have a vision and if you create a team of believers, you can create something amazing that benefits everyone.
We were in Bilbao to see the transfer of the Royal Academy’s Abstract Expressionism exhibition, one of the best London exhibitions of 2016.
The art, naturally enough, was astonishing. But as a first time visitor, what struck me was the building – how it glistened gold in the sun, the way its construction moves the space around it, the curves like waves echoing the river in front of it (the river that was also cleaned up during the construction and is now so clean that people swim in it). Then inside the building the space! This is a great place to show art. Whilst the outside is all about the building, the inside is all about the art.
Jeff Koons Puppy photo Mark Hayes-Westall
And what art! Even before we get to the Abstract Expressionist exhibition we have some of the titans of the art world – a permanent installation from Richard Serra (‘The Matter of Time’), ‘Tulips’ and ‘Puppy’ from Jeff Koons, ‘Fire Fountain’ by Yves Klein and ‘Maman’ by Louise Bourgeois plus many more.
Richard Serra (‘The Matter of Time’) photo Mark Hayes- Westall
The Abstract Expressionism show is great. With works by Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Robert Motherwell, David Smith and, my pick as the star of the exhibition, Clyfford Still. This is a visual joy of a show. The curation is superb pulling you along from gallery to gallery almost unaware of what it means but incredibly conscious of how it makes you feel.
Clifford Still – Guggenheim Bilbao – Photo Mark Westall
This is a show and an institution that amazes and comforts at the same time. The sheer joyful creativity of humanity tells you it’s not just gonna be ok, its gonna be fantastic. Go. Don’t think, just FEEL. Forget the audio guide just let yourself be pulled along by great art.
Abstract Expressionism runs until June 4th and is part of Guggenheim Bilbao’s 20th-anniversary celebrations, which run until October 2017. www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus
Other highlights of the anniversary year will include:
A major retrospective of work by Bill Viola (30 June – 5 November 2017)
A comprehensive survey of the Parisian Avant Garde, titled ”Paris, fin de siècle: Signac, Redon, Toulouse-Lautrec, and their Contemporaries’ (12 May – 10 September 2017)
A monographic exhibition of Georg Baselitz focusing on his Heroes series (14 July – 22 October 2017)
An exhibition of emerging artists, chosen through a competition open to all young artists and creators from the Basque Country.
Partnership with local cultural agents through the launching of the programme TopARTE, whereby the Museum will offer free use of its spaces to cultural institutions of the Basque Country.
A series of celebratory events with the local community, including concerts from local bands, free access to the Museum’s exhibitions and dance events in the Museum’s Auditorium.
Check the website for more details as there are some amazing things that are going to happen that they haven’t told us about yet, and remember the wonderful things humans can create and achieve.
