Voices en Español

They laughed at me wanting you, said it would be, “Hello, Goodbye”
But oh, you came through, now they’re eating humble pie
They all said we’d never get together, darling, let’s take a bow
Ha, ha, ha! Who’s got the last laugh now?

(Song lyrics “They all laughed” by George and Ira Gershwin)

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. Since opening in 1997, approximately 10 million people have passed through its doors to see exhibitions on a wide range of “modern art” from the clothing of Georgio Armani to motorcycles.

In a country filled with naysayers, in a culture that is resistant to change, the Guggenheim in Bilbao initially had a hard go at it. First, there was the name. How were Spanish speakers supposed to pronounce it? Second, there was its location in a formerly industrialized port city, better known for its polluted rivers than for housing world-class modern art. Then there was the design. Too radical. And by an American, too boot!

But 10 years out, it’s clear that the gamble made by the Basque government has paid off big time. Attendance figures shattered all previous predictions with 1.6 million strolling through the building in the first year alone. But more than being a modern-art museum, the Guggenheim has become a beacon of what is possible for a city eager to change its image. In fact, it’s not an understatement to say that the Guggenheim Museum single-handedly put Bilbao on the world stage, thanks to Frank Gehry’s innovative and distinctive design. Guggenheim Bilbao wasn’t supposed to be such a smashing success but guess who has the last laugh now?

A huge “Thank you!!” to Animated George and Oscar Alonso for the use of their gorgeous photos.