have taken place as a result of the free-market spirit of the 1980s: ‘The notion of
the museum as a guardian of the public patrimony has given way to the notion of
the museum as a corporate entity with a highly marketable inventory and the desire
for growth’ (Philip Weiss cited in Krauss 1990: 5).
New York is to remain the Guggenheim Foundation’s hub for its glittering ‘con-
stellations’ throughout the world. The site in Bilbao, a formerly depressed area
undergoing a process of revitalization and transformation via architecture and
regeneration, is represented as a significant development: it is a powerful metaphor
for the contemporary way to do cultural business, namely by becoming an interna-
tional tourist destination. Indeed, the exposure of the Guggenheim brand name is
about attracting global audiences: ‘Our attendance figures are measured globally
now, and each exhibition is measured in terms of its global impact rather than its
local impact. The Guggenheim’s mindset is that of a global institution’ (Guggenheim
official cited in
Flash Art
, January/February 2000). For example, its online project
is billed as a virtual museum, a natural extension of the satellite museum sites, with
an objective to enhance the value of the Guggenheim as a brand. Indeed, a mid-
1990s slogan on the cultural ambitions of the Guggenheim, as competing for the
mind
of Europe, seems too modest with hindsight.
Amongst various issues that the Guggenheim’s Bilbao project foregrounds, two
are highlighted. First, will having an art museum at the centre of an urban renewal
project work? Critics point out that the overall renewal plan may be more benefi-
cial to corporate interests than people in the local area. Some will interpret the four
‘brands’ on display at the opening – the Guggenheim Foundation, architect Frank
Gehry, corporate sponsor Hugo Boss, and a majestic, lawn ornament
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