Guggenheim and Bilbao walking tours over our two days in Bilbao. And we have to move hotels in the middle as the first night's is fully booked tonight. Just a nice walk through a park to the new one.
The Guggenheim Museum is just 10mins further walk from the 2nd one.
[From Wikipedia:] "Designed by Canadian American architect Frank Gehry, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao building represents a magnificent example of the most groundbreaking 20th-century architecture. With 24,000 m2, of which 9.000 are dedicated to exhibition space, the Museum represents an architectural landmark of audacious configuration and innovating design, providing a seductive backdrop for the art exhibited in it.Altogether, Gehry’s design creates a spectacular sculpture-like structure, perfectly integrated within Bilbao’s urban pattern and its surrounding area."
From a visitor: "Guggenheim in Bilbao. It's really sensational. If you have time to visit the museum itself, fine, but I honestly think the most wonderful part of the Guggenheim is viewing its beauty from outside, its placement in the estuary, and it's overall harmony with its surroundings."
What you cannot see: "The three levels of the building are organized around the Atrium and are connected by means of curved walkways, titanium and glass elevators, and staircases."
[From https://www.suspanish.com/blog/guggenheim-bilbao/:] "The construction period took about 4 years and cost about 100 million. With more than 1 million visitors a year, the Museo Guggenheim Bilbao is by far the most important landmark of Bilbao and the Basque Country.
After the economic crisis that the city experienced in the 1990’s, the government decided it was time for a more modern city. During this urban renewal there was placed a metro in Bilbao (Euskotran), the Palacio Euskalduna, a concert and event hall and the famous Museo Guggenheim Bilbao.
At the time that the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation indicated in 1990 that they were looking for a new location for a third location for a Guggenheim museum, the Basque government offered to establish the Guggenheim in the port city of Bilbao in February. The high cost that was attached to this museum didn’t scare them off, the contrary was through. They knew that this museum could change the image of Bilbao in a positive way. With the Guggenheim museum Bilbao would become world news and definitely attract a new stream of tourists.
Titanium is mainly used in aircraft construction, building missiles and for making jewelry. Because Gehry has ensured that a large part of the Guggenheim is covered with titanium, it has become a beautiful building with the brilliance of the titanium."
[From the Guardian:] "In 1997 the Guggenheim Bilbao opened. There was a bit of criticism. The Canadian-born Gehry, now aged 88, was then in his 60s, and he had a high reputation in the architectural world for his imaginative reinterpretations of the everyday structures of his adopted home of Los Angeles. He didn’t have the celebrity he gained later (an appearance on The Simpsons, for example), and although he was known for the freedom of his forms, the public hadn’t yet seen much of the complex, multiply curving shapes which, since Bilbao, are assumed to be his trademark.Gehry was familiar with the criticism and pushed back. All his professional life he has known and worked with artists. “In the beginning,” he says, “I thought architects should make neutral spaces for art. But my artists were saying: ‘Fuck off, we want to be in an important building. I want to go home and tell my mother I’m in the Louvre.’” He reels off the artists who he says liked the Guggenheim – Anselm Kiefer, Sol LeWitt, “even” Robert Rauschenberg. He says that a clique of museum directors, meeting in London, “passed a resolution that they should never build a building like Frank Gehry’s… they pretty much kept to it.” He claims that the same directors – “you know who they are” – told Cy Twombly never to show in Bilbao. He did, eventually, two years or so before his death. “Cy called me and said it was the best show in his whole life.”
Gehry, who beat two other architects in the competition to design the building, recalls that he was asked to design what was then not called an icon. He was nervous. “They said: ‘Mr Gehry, we need the Sydney Opera House. Our town is dying.’ I looked at them and said: ‘Where’s the nearest exit? I’ll do my best but I can’t guarantee anything.’” So he came up with the convulsive, majestic, climactic assembly of titanium and stone, of heft and shimmer, a cross-breed of palazzo and ship that also flips its tail like a jumping fish, that now stands on the bank of the river Nervión. What set Bilbao apart was the degree of contrast between the city’s lowly status and the artistic and architectural ambition of its proposed flagship."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guggenheim_Museum_Bilbao
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/oct/01/bilbao-effect-frank-gehry-guggenheim-global-craze
This is the puppy made of plants as an art piece at the front entrance.
We went inside. It was 15 euros each entry, though she asked us for our over 65 cards. We said we were not quite there yet. Bill said I was nearly there. So she gave me a senior price of 12 euros. When it opened they charged 0.50 euros.
A few exhibits.
This "The Matter of Time" steel sculpture is famous. Bill and I thought it would be better outside, though we obviously do not know the best places to place art.
Looking inside out (my art).
You could walk through these lights. Bill having walked through.
And there is more.
We went to Japan and to the island of Naoshima with Annette and Neal. The island exhibits this artist - Kusama.
I sent this photo to Annette (enlarged here so blurry).
We went for a walking tour around the old city. We walked with Sam for 2 1/2 hours
This was what it was like in 1500, and before the big flood of 1983.
Seven of these streets go from the river up to the market square.
This church is in the middle of the old city.
The market was closed (it was Monday), but the pinxtos were still available.
A sign marking the Camino walk in one of the main squares.
Stables turned into restauarants and shops.
Used to play pelota here.
Drinking fountains. Still used. The steel plates were to wash the horses' hooves.
This guy was on the tour. His name was Barrett Madrigal. He asked me where in New Zealand we were from? I replied originally Whanganui. Right thing to say. He asked me whether I new Jeremy Higgie? Yes I said, he looked after me when I was 15 and had exceeded gin and tonic limits. Barrett had had fun with Jeremy and his Kiwi mates on Contiki back in 1980. They had taught him all the shearing shed songs. Remembering both name and place of Jeremy after 40 years was pretty extraordinary I thought. We both agreed Jeremy was a good guy.
A big brow gull that seem to be everywhere along the river.
We had empanadas after thev walk. Yum.
The San Mames football stadium, known here as The Cathedral. Bill went to a soccer game here when I was in England.
The home team is Athletic Bilbao. They choose only players from the Basque region.
