This is a dog, made of annual flowers such as alyssum, petunias and lobelia, in the forecourt of the Guggenheim in Bilbao, on the northern (Atlantic) coast of Spain.
This sculpture has been hugely controversial in Bilbao. Once you see the gallery building you'll know why many people thought a huge, soft, flowery puppy was not "simpatico".
Moving past the floral puppy, we see the main entrance to the art gallery. This is the facade away from the river. As soon as you enter the building, every external view is of the river. The external skin of the building is titanium. It is very subtle and very tactile - you just want to run your hands over it. It is like cool, shiny velvet.
Once inside, all external views are of the water. But the water is made up of the water forecourt (30 cm deep water) surrounded by a curved walkway under which is a "fog sculpture" (seen fogging here) and then there is the river. But you'd swear that the two bodies of water are connected and that it is all the river. Very, very clever.
Unless you are a connoisseur of modern art, the building itself is the thing of most interest. It is made of stone, steel, glass and titanium. Most surfaces are curved. The stone is limestone. It is used both inside and out.
These photos are of the central atrium. It is the vertical core of the building. There are three floors, all hanging off this central, vertical space.
The galleries on each floor radiate off the central void.
On the ground floor, three huge, red, Greek-like statues.
Photographing paintings was not allowed but these larger installations were OK. That's a car engine from which this monster is emerging! There were two videos accompanying this installation that reminded us of 'Reservoir Dogs'. That's all I can say. I really didn't understand!
But this huge steel installation was a mind-blower!
You could walk through the steel panels and shapes. See the small figure on the far right. I got sea-sick and claustrophobic in the first one and couldn't continue. But Paul loved it all and was completely engaged with it. These panels are two inches thick and are bent in more than one direction at the same time, which is rather a physical feat and is what makes you giddy/seasick.
After several hours of marveling at the interior, we went outside and walked along the other side of the river to view the exterior from a dozen different vantage points - here are a few.
Yes, that is a giant spider sitting on the forecourt. You can see the water feature with its curved walkway, behind the spider.
And apropos nothing - I have formed the view that those things of most interest or value in Spain are behind a door. You just have to be brave enough to breast the door ... this door was quite impressive!
Farewell from a wet Bilboa.......
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