On the occasion of International Museum Day on May 18, Itziar Ituño, Ernesto Valverde, and Jon Kortajarena share with the public their favorite pieces from the Collection of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

In the light of the present circumstances that make it impossible to celebrate Museum Day with free admission, as in previous years, the Museum will open virtually to the public in a different way thanks to the personal involvement of three successful non-museum professionals from different fields who will share their views.

Installation for Bilbao, the piece made up of nine LED columns created by artist Jenny Holzer in 1997 specifically for gallery 101, by the Museum Atrium, was the artwork selected by actress Itziar Ituño. Known for her roles in productions such as Loreak or Money Heist (La casa de papel), Ituño explains in her video why she chose Installation for Bilbao: “the first time I saw it, it made me think of the rain, a rain of words and phrases rising from the floor and drenching me”.

Actor and international model Jon Kortajarena, a regular visitor to the Museum, reveals in his video why he chose Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Man from Naples (1982). In his own words, “It’s a painting full of ironic messages that reminds me of New York City in the 1980s.”

A Museum Member for quite a few years, former soccer player and coach Ernesto Valverde accepted this challenge and highlighted the works of painter and sculptor Anselm Kiefer on permanent view at the Museum, such as The Renowned Orders of the Night (1997). “This is something we have all felt, especially on a clear summer night beneath the sky full of stars.”

#GuggenheimBilbaoLive

This is part of the initiative #GuggenheimBilbaoLive that the Museum has been developing through its website and social media since the temporary closure last March. In order to offer some inspiration during the challenging weeks of confinement, every week the Museum is creating and sharing new videos, and also interactive workshops with the collaboration of artists in the section #ElMuseoEnFamiliaConBBK. Anyone wishing to receive this content in their email and access other advantages for free can do so by joining the Museum’s Community of art and culture lovers on our website. Community currently boasts over 60.000 Museum Friends and Followers.