Hardly groundbreaking stuff, but The Guggenheim Bilbao is a highlight of any visit to the city, offering an exceptional combination of striking architecture, world-class contemporary art, and thought-provoking installations. Designed by Frank Gehry, the museum is as much a work of art as the exhibits it houses. The curving, titanium exterior gleams and shifts with the light, making the building feel almost alive as you approach. It’s a true visual masterpiece, blending seamlessly with the riverside location and making it impossible not to be drawn in.
One of the first things you’ll encounter is the stunning collection of large-scale sculptures outside, like Maman by Louise Bourgeois, a towering spider with imposing legs that both daunts and fascinates. The enormous Puppy, created by Jeff Koons, made entirely of vibrant flowers, offers a stark contrast, with its joyful and welcoming presence. It’s a wonderful introduction to the art that lies within.
Inside, the museum’s vast galleries house a variety of powerful exhibitions, from permanent collections to temporary installations. One of the most striking works is Richard Serra’s The Matter of Time, a series of monumental sculptures that you can actually walk through. The installation consists of eight massive curved steel sculptures, some over 14 feet high, arranged in such a way that visitors can move through, around, and inside them. Walking through the sculptures is a truly immersive experience. The scale and weight of the steel walls create a feeling of awe and give you a new perspective on the space around you. It’s not just a passive viewing experience—The Matter of Time challenges your sense of space, offering a physical, almost meditative interaction with the art. The prompts placed around the exhibit, asking you to reflect on the sculptures by changing your viewpoint, such as “What if you observed them from a bird’s eye view?” encourage a deeper, more thoughtful engagement with the installation.
Inside the museum, one of the pieces that really stood out during our visit was Jeff Koons’ Tulips. These gleaming, oversized flowers in vibrant colors are impossible to ignore. Although apparently they used to be outside, Tulips was housed inside the museum when we visited (May 2023), where its playful, shiny surface contrasts beautifully with the more industrial, metallic feel of the building. It’s a striking example of Koons’ work, mixing the surreal with the joyful, and adds a pop of color and light to the galleries.
While the permanent collection is impressive, we were also fortunate to catch the temporary exhibition No Twilight Too Mighty by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, showcasing over 70 of her paintings and charcoal drawings created between 2020 and 2023. The emotional depth of her work is palpable, with each painting capturing a moment that feels both personal and universal. One of the most striking aspects of the exhibit was the powerful text on the wall:
“No dawn brings guarantee
of solar bedazzled eyes. And no twilight is too mighty,
for the owl not to rise.”
These words, added a contemplative, almost poetic layer to the exhibit and resonated with a return to some normality, post-Covid.
Another compelling installation is Installation for Bilbao by Jenny Holzer, where large, bold text appears on the walls, challenging visitors with thought-provoking and politically charged messages. Holzer’s work invites you to reconsider the power of language and its impact on our understanding of the world. It’s one of those pieces that doesn’t just offer a visual experience, but also engages your mind, forcing you to think about what the words mean and how they resonate with you personally.
What makes the Guggenheim particularly special is the way it encourages reflection and engagement. It’s not just a place to look at art—it’s a place to interact with it in a deeper way.
For example, in The Matter of Time, a series of prompts encourages you to pause and think about how you’re experiencing the space. “What if you walked through the sculptures at an ant’s pace?” it asks, or “What if you lived inside a sculpture for a while?” These thought-provoking questions invite you to explore the art in new ways, challenging your perception of space and form.
The Guggenheim Bilbao is more than just a museum; it’s an experience that invites you to think, reflect, and connect with art in a way that’s engaging and meaningful. From the architecture to the exhibits to the interactive installations, it’s a place that never stops inspiring.
If you’re in Bilbao, this museum is a must-see—whether you’re a seasoned art lover or just someone looking to experience something truly unique. Highly recommended!
