Day 12 – The Guggenheim!

Day 12 – by Michael Jones and Patrick Fazekas

It was a misty Friday morning when we awoke in San Sebastián. The group loaded on to the bus for yet another brief bus ride – this time headed to the city of Bilbao. Bilbao is located in the North Central region of Spain and is the largest city in the Basque region with a population of 345,000 residents. The landscape on the trip was characterized by rolling hills, mountain ridges, and many wind farms. 

Arriving in Bilbao, we were greeted by an exceptionally modern city centered around the Guggenheim Museum, various cultural centers, and large metropolitan offices. Students broke out into groups to quickly explore the city before our scheduled visit to the world famous Guggenheim art museum. A river ran through the middle of the city whose ports played significant roles in the development and growth of the city in the 14th century. Today, the economy of Bilbao is still strongly supported through its shipping industry and has also developed a significant banking sector and solidified itself as a popular tourist destination. Bilbao is also home to the football club Athletic Club de Bilbao, whose stadium is situated in the middle of the downtown area right next to the river. The team is one of the most successful clubs in La Liga, the Spanish football. The club provides a unique cultural identity for the residents of Bilbao because they require all players to be of Basque nationality, something which the residents are really proud of. By 12:15, the various small groups assembled in front of the museum and debated whether the large statue near the entrance was a cat or a dog while we waited to begin our tour. 

We were met with the beautiful shape of a shining metallic building, shaped irregularly to catch the light. The Guggenheim at Bilbao is a massive building organically shaped with titanium, glass and limestone. It is an edifice to modern art, its massive galleries showcasing multitudes of Spanish, Basque, and international artists. Statues outside the building preview the wonders inside; a large dog statue of flowers, metallic abstract tulips, and a tower of shining metal spheres. 

Inside, there are almost too many exhibits to count, though all seek to challenge viewers to look deeply into the themes of the art: 

• Curved steel walls, placed in spiral patterns to disorient those who walk through
• Pillars displaying LED lights, forming phrases based on themes such as love
• A room filled with seemingly disconnected sentences meant to bring out emotion
• Painted canvasses, with slashes to bring connection to emptiness
• A galley of contemporary art, side by side with the Italian paintings that inspired it
• Massive paintings formed from waste, such as lead and glass

After leaving Bilbao with our minds blown and our gift bags full, we took our last drive through the Spanish countryside before returning to the States. 

We returned to Madrid for our last night in Spain, at a cozy hotel close by the airport. 

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