Day Tripping to Bilbao and the Guggenheim

Last Friday (June 22) we returned to Bilbao to see the Guggenheim's new Chagall exhibition, “The Breakthrough Years, 1911-1919,” and to enjoy lunch at the Bistro Guggenheim. In addition to the exhibit, we had tickets to a related piano recital and projection titled “The Great War.” It is super easy to get to Bilbao, we just hop on a bus (they leave hourly) and an hour and 15 minutes later we’re there. And then it is a quick, scenic 25-minute walk to the museum. Alternatively, there’s a convenient tram to take.

This was our 3rd visit inside the Guggenheim and it never ceases to amaze us. This time we got the audio guide in Spanish – we try to practice every chance we get! The architecture is truly part of the experience and impacts the way you experience the art. For example, compare these two views of a fun sculpture outside:

As we noted in September, you can enjoy the Guggenheim without going inside because there is so much art outside.

And of course, the Puppy (who was much more colorful than during our visit last September) -- a personal favorite:

Lunch was fabulous, we even had a view to the river and the sculptures outside. The food was artistic, but the photos I took didn’t do it justice. Plus, the art photos are more fun. They recently installed this funky decorative “creature” in the atrium – it’s so new there is no explanation yet.

The Chagall exhibit was interesting but limited. Chagall left Tsarist Russia for Paris in 1911 where he was influenced by many masters (Picasso, etc.), but when he returned for his sister’s wedding in 1914 he was stuck for eight years due to the outbreak of WWI. His surroundings greatly impacted his art during this period.

The piano recital was fascinating. While the pianist played classical music from the WWI period, we watched historical footage showing various European events between 1911 and 1919, the era of the Chagall exhibit. Much of the footage related to the war, but it also included the English suffragette movement and the Armenian genocide. Slides introduced each song and included a narrative about the events and music – in Spanish, of course. This was an interesting exercise for us – reading the explanations, with music playing, and not knowing when the slide would disappear. We were very proud of our efforts. Overall, the recital and projection were an interesting way to portray the era.

It was a fantastic day. We’ll be back to Bilbao and the Guggenheim again soon for sure.

Hasta pronto,

Shana & Jeff