Come and see the world famous Guggenheim museum in Bilbao and learn Spanish

The Guggenheim opened in 1997 as part of a revitalization plan for Bilbao and is now a defining feature of the city, with King Juan Carlos calling it the best building of the 20th century. This stunning building is located along the estuary and is visible from many points around the city including the bridge that leads into Bilbao from the motorway and airport. It is made from glass and limestone coated titanium which gives it a very tactile appearance and a luminous interior. The panels on the exterior look like fish scales and the building itself is designed to look like a boat, giving it a nautical theme that relates to the industrial port that was so important to the development of this city.
As well as the stunning building, there are many outdoor installations that entice art enthusiast from all over the globe. “Puppy” by Jeff Koons was introduced in 1992 and is hailed as a monument to the sentimental. “Maman” by Louise Bourgeois was installed in 1999 represents the complex and fragile concept of maternity. The 6 outdoor installations serve to enhance the appearance of the building and fully cement it as the city’s centerpiece of modern architecture.
After ticket sales and security visitors find themselves in the Atrium, which is the heart of the museum. This is spacious and light and allows the visitor to appreciate the full scale of this magnificent building. To the right is the impressive “A Matter of Time” by Richard Serra, this is an enormous collection of curved steel sheets which explore the idea of space and use visitors as a live component for completion of the installation. Also located on the ground floor is the fascinating “Installation for Bilbao” by Jenny Holzer, this is 9 double sided LED columns that display messages in Basque, Spanish and English on universal and interchangeable themes such as intimacy, deception, death and loss.
The second floor is currently host to the Anish Kapoor exhibition until October. Kapoor´s work is characterized by intense colours, rich textures and tactile materials which reveal his interest between spectators and objects. He has also created a very interesting exhibition involving the use of distorted mirrors which both amuse the visitor and encourage them to view themselves differently. “Yellow” is an intense painting that takes up almost an entire wall and commands the attention of the visitor with its depth. “Shooting into the Corner” is composed of a large cannon that fires cylinders of red wax into a white corner at intervals. This is an opportunity to see something truly unique that will leave its mark for months to come.
On the third floor visitors will find the “Gluts” exhibition by American artist Robert Rauschenberg. This features approximately 55 works which are made from materials such as traffic signs and bicycles which gathered at junk yards. This exhibition serves as a criticism of the economic situation in Rauschenberg’s hometown of Texas and is an interesting take on excess and recycling.
The museum has recently introduced the Art after Dark event in collaboration with Fever nightclub. Once a month on a Friday, the museum opens its doors from 10pm until 1am to allow visitors to explore the exhibits whilst listening to some of the worlds best DJs.
Students receive a considerable concession at the Guggenheim and Instituto Hemingway frequently organizes excursions to this fantastic museum. Students at Instituto Hemingway should not miss this amazing opportunity to visit the Guggenheim and learn more about the stunning museum that put Bilbao on the map.