Edinburgh bids for a Guggenheim

The great trajectory of the Solomon R Guggenheim Galleries continues apace. This is a great vindication of the concept of the transferable museum brand, and has confounded the sceptics. Bilbao Guggenheim has been a phenomenal success. What are the criteria to get a Guggenheim? Vienna failed. Las Vegas won (a small version), Gehry and Guggenheim are prospecting for sites, it is true. But…Edinburgh? With the festival itself having removed the visual arts from the agenda, which for so long included famous blockbuster shows? The city that finally broke Richard Demarco’s heart? Which rebuffed Joseph Beuys? Guggenheim Director Thomas Krens may have a strong commercial acumen but he also knows the battles fought and won for the contemporary art world, long ago.

Forget it, Edinburgh. There are 60 other cities writing in. Let’s hope one of these is Glasgow. Now that would be quite something — dockside sites galore, and a living, breathing soul. Guggenheim Glasgow: Give It a Go