There is one particular memory of mine that I wanted to take the time to document. That being one of my favorite destination stops during our honeymoon…the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
The Guggenheim was designed by my favorite architect, Frank Gehry, and many applaude it as being his most significant work. In fact, The Guggenheim was even touted as one of the most significant pieces of architecture in an article from one of Christy’s Vanity Fair magazines.
I was particularly excited to see it, and we reserved a room across the street from the museum that provided a great view of the museum at all hours.
@Gran Hotel Domine – Bilbao
The museum is in a word, Remarkable. I’ve seen countless pictures of it before (and you’ll see some in a bit here) but nothing compares to seeing it in person. Viewing it with your own set of eyes allows you to truly appreciate the scale of it all. The lush and perfectly-manicured lawns it spans across awaken the senses to the point where you can feel the air quiver through your lungs….and feel the stark white rays of light charge you as they reflect off the molded titanium panels. It’s a beautiful wonder.
We took a long walk up and around the museum, viewing it from all angles and framing it against various backdrops and scales with our camera. You could spend hours doing this as the immediate vicinity around the museum is gorgeously set and designed. It’s almost as if the Guggenheim is one brilliant gold, heavy watercolor brushstroke in the center of a canvas that spreads across the page; brightening everything around it.
Of all the interesting sculptures and parks that share the same color of the Guggenheim, the “Puppy” was Christy and I’s favorite.
Puppy – Floral Sculpture by Jeff Koons
Again, this is something that’s best viewed in person, the flowers flowing freely in the wind across the puppy’s silhouette. After taking in all of the wonder of the museum from the outside, we proceeded inside to view the museum part of the, well, museum. Photos weren’t allowed, but there weren’t too many features on the inside of the Guggenheim that compared with its outside. It was mainly an expansive blank canvas on the inside, offering large spaces for the artwork it housed to do the talking (as a museum should). We saw a few interesting exhibits, a favorite of ours being one featuring the works of Anish Kapoor. His works are very large scale and usually use their media to create optical illusions. You’ve probably seen, his most popular piece, the Millennium Bean in Chicago (which is actually called ‘Cloud Gate’) and that should give you an idea of what I mean.
One of our favorite pieces in the museum were these mirrors that were formed in severe convex and concave arcs to give fun interactive illusions as you approach them. I wish I could take photos of it, or better yet video, as it was fun to see everyone interact with the pieces and see children and adults smile and laugh in wonder at the unexpected effects.
Now that I think about it, those mirrors kind of sum up our experience at the Guggenheim. Large, molded pieces of art that interacted with the world around them to create beaming effects you couldn’t help but smile about, and vivid memories that you will never forget.
Hello! My name is Chris and I'm an engineer and a photographer / contributor for Apartment Therapy. In high school my artistic side took a back seat as I pursued a career in math and science. Blogging, however, gives me the chance to bring that creative side front and center again. I'm a native Texan, living in Austin, and love all the things you'll find in a modern metropolis - technology, design, food, and the arts. I hope those interests come together here in pieces you enjoy reading. Thanks for stopping by.
