This is a crowdfunding campaign designed to pull the heartstrings and save a poorly sized puppy, but the request was made by Guggenheim The scale of Bilbao is different.The museum is ask A donation of 100,000 euros was used to restore the 13-meter-high puppy of American artist Jeff Koons.
A flower-covered sculpture of the West Highland Terrier stands at the entrance of the museum. Its vibrant 38,000 plants, including petunia, impatiens, marigolds and begonias, are replaced twice a year.
“The appearance is very good, it hasn’t deteriorated at all,” said Ainhoa Sanz, the head of restoration of the museum. However, after 24 years of use in an open environment, certain parts of the irrigation system leaked and needed to be replaced, as did some stainless steel structures. “We hope it will remain in good shape for the next 25 years,” Sands said.
Begoña Martínez Goyenaga, director of museum communications, said that this kind of fundraising is the first time they have used crowdfunding. “We decided to crowdfund, because it is a very iconic, loved and photographed work, very representative of the city, we hope that all people who love puppies have the opportunity to participate in the restoration of both artistic and vertical works. Works. Garden.”
Puppy was exhibited for the first time at Documenta 92 in Kassel, Germany. It was later re-erected in Sydney Harbour in 1995. The Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation purchased it in 1997 for use in the New Museum of Bilbao designed by Frank Gehry.
Koons said he chose sentimental images of puppies and flowers to convey optimism and instill “a sense of confidence and security.”
in a Interview At the Guggenheim this year, Koons said: “Puppy was inspired by my visit to European Baroque cathedrals and the way they strike a balance between symmetry and asymmetry, and between eternity and ephemeral.”
In 1997, just before the opening of the museum, three members of the Basque terrorist organization Eta disguised as gardeners Flower pot full of grenades They plan to throw it at King Juan Carlos when he attends the inauguration.
The attack was thwarted by the local police, Jose Maria Aguirre, who was shot when the three of them fled. This square was later named after Aguirre.
Two-thirds of the museum’s revenue comes from ticket sales, store sales or sponsorship, and the rest comes from the Basque government.
So far, the crowdfunding campaign has raised one-tenth of the 100,000 euro target. The restoration work is expected to start in late September and be completed in mid-November.
