Art enticements in cultural waterfronts: their perimuseal span in the Bilbao estuary beyond the Guggenheim

Abstract

The opening of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in 1997 intensified a discernible presence of monuments, museums, galleries and other establishments in its surroundings by defining a cultural district. In this gentrified neighbourhood, there are still a few artists-run spaces left, while ever more studios of architects and designers are spreading by the riverside, where the domino effect seemingly results in a musealisation of public art as civic heritage and a tourist attraction.