Collection of the Guggenheim Museum
Since it first opened in 1997, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao has built a significant contemporary art collection, comprising pieces by the most relevant artists from the second half of the 20th century, mainly from America, Europe, and the Basque Country, as well as by today’s creators. Some of the most iconic works in the Collection can be found outside the building, while others have been placed in some of the Museum’s most spectacular galleries.
Zero
Lobby
We suggest you start your tour of the Museum at ZERO, an immersive experience with a powerful visual language and an amazing design.
Located in the lobby, ZERO welcomes all visitors with a sensory approach to the history of the Museum and its environs, to the Frank Gehry–designed building, and to the Museum Collection.
The Matter of Time
1st floor, gallery 104
You can experience and activate time and space by wondering about The Matter of Time (1994–2005), an installation by Richard Serra.
Designed specifically for gallery 104, the eight monumental sculptures posed a huge challenge in terms of both manufacturing and installation. The sculptures were impossibly heavy and yet quite fragile, being made of towering weathering steel sheets. It took state-of-the-art technology to make and install them.
At the far end of the gallery, there is an educational space where you can find scale models of the works on display and a video showing how they were installed, among other resources. Make sure not to miss it!
Richard Serra
The Matter of Time , 1994–2005
Weathering Steel
Dimensions variable
Guggenheim Bilbao Museoa
Permanent Collection and site-specific works
Atrium, terraces, exterior
Standing in dialogue with the interior and the exterior of the building designed by Frank Gehry, site-specific works by contemporary artists make a significant part of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Collection.
In addition to Richard Serra’s amazing installation The Matter of Time (1994–2005) in gallery 104, from the Atrium you can take a look at Installation for Bilbao (1997) by Jenny Holzer in gallery 101, consisting of nine columns on which text written by the artist herself flows in streams of red and blue LED lights.
From the Museum Atrium terrace you can also see works by Eduardo Chillida, Louise Bourgeois, and Anish Kapoor, as well as by Fujiko Nakaya, Daniel Buren, and Yves Klein, the latter three operated to become active at regular intervals.
* Scan the QR codes in the galleries to get the audio guides on your mobile phone for a most enjoyable tour.
Yves Klein
Fire Fountain , 1961
Fire
Site-specific dimensions
Guggenheim Bilbao Museoa
Works from the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Collection
The third floor houses Works from the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Collection, a journey through some of the leading art movements in the second half of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st, including works by renowned artists like Cristina Iglesias, Sol LeWitt, or Mark Rothko belonging to the Museum Collection.
