What I discovered taking my Special Needs son to the Guggenheim in Bilbao
By Eva Glover
A museum that rejoices in visually stimulating art and architecture proves perfect for a family visit.
The Guggenheim, Bilbao. All photographs is this article are by the author Eva Glover
An infinity of words has been written about the Guggenheim in Bilbao. I’d like to add a few more, but from a specific perspective: that of taking my young adult Autistic & Learning Disabled son and neurotypical 17-year-old daughter there in summer, as part of a family tour of northern Spain.
The area is extraordinarily rich in terms of cultural, historical, geographical, and architectural interest – enough variety to satisfy all tastes and stimulate all intellects – so is ripe for exploration.
Jeff Koons, Puppy
The Guggenheim is a particular stand-out, the building itself packing a real punch. Designed by Frank Gehry and opened in 1997, it is a most spectacular piece of modern architecture. Its colossal, asymmetrical and utterly unexpected shape, combining fluid curves and sharp angles, one part suggesting the sweeping bow of a ship, and all clad in shimmering titanium plates, cannot fail to make an impression.
A Louise Bourgeois’s giant bronze Maman spider meets you outside. You can walk beneath it and see the sac of marble eggs she holds – a good talking point. On the grey, drizzly day we went, to see it rising out of the mist only enhanced its other-worldliness.
For those who prefer dogs to spiders, there is Jeff Koons’ gargantuan, flower-clad Puppy, standing guard at the other end.
The Guggenheim, Bilbao
Step inside and the Atrium, around which the three levels of the museum are organised, also takes one’s breath away; the space is flooded with light from towering glass curtain walls and covered by a great skylight.
The twenty galleries off the Atrium are connected by means of curved open walkways, that are in themselves fun and cool to walk along, as you gaze out onto the River Nervión. Glass elevators whizz up and down, past the bizarre Soft Shuttlecock artwork overhanging the balcony, adding another touch of wonder.
The Guggenheim, Bilbao
On our visit, there were plenty of large, colourful, weird and whacky installations in both the permanent and temporary exhibits. Even if their meaning escaped my son, (and sometimes me!), they made for sensorially stimulating experiences.
In the more conceptual works, interesting optical effects, such as lights blinking or words changing, usually engaged him on some level. The one he engaged with most was sculptor Richard Serra’s monumental work The Matter of Time, on permanent display in the museum’s largest gallery. It consists of eight enormous, rusted steel double ellipses, spirals and tilted, snaking walls, that viewers are encouraged to walk around and through.
Richard Serra, The Matter of Time
Serra said that “The meaning of the installation will be activated and animated by the rhythm of the viewer’s movement.” The experience is intended “to shape our awareness of time as, walking around the pieces, our perception bounces between the unexpected and the slow unfolding of different spaces”.
They certainly do disorientate, making you feel slightly dizzy. It’s fun to play with echoes, too, as you walk through the serpentine passages. (Interesting fact: the rusted steel pieces not bolted to the floor! Instead, they rely on their immense weight and precise engineering to stand on their own.)
Author’s children at the Guggenheim, Bilbao
A lot of the time I’m guessing my son’s reaction, as he doesn’t say much; but for sure this museum had more impact on him, and held his interest more, than other traditional art museums we’ve visited.
For him, the Guggenheim (I imagine) was a lot more captivating thanks to:
• the scale of it all: the building, the atrium, and many of the exhibits inside
• the gobsmacking originality of the exterior
• the sensory bombardment you get from the exhibits.
The author at the Guggenheim, Bilbao
Works on screens/projected particularly drew his attention – I suspect that would be common to a lot of kids on the spectrum, if not to all kids. A complete surround-sound and vision installation was especially successful, even if it overwhelmed me personally!
Barbara Kruger’s work with the changing words, even if the meaning behind it would have been lost on him, also held his attention. And he enjoyed seeing the familiar jigsaw pieces come up in the artist’s “I shop therefore I am” piece.
Author’s children with El Anatsui’s Rising Sea
Tactile works sparked his curiosity. Some of them he was allowed to touch or walk through. A gigantic shimmering wave-like curtain stitched with liquor bottle tops titled Rising Sea by El Anatsui prompted him to reach towards it. In this case my daughter had to stop him, but it certainly demonstrated his interest and engagement.
To sum up, I highly recommend this iconic museum. Not only as an art institution, but as a place welcoming to people like my son. The Guggenheim stands out as a cultural destination that satisfies all ages and minds.