- The members of the platform met outside the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, where their first public appearance was held by the new director of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Miren Arzallus. Arzallus pointed out that it is "too early" to talk about the lines he will work, although he pointed out that "among other things" there is also that of the Urdaibai museum. However, the Guggenheim Urdaibai Stop platform has determined that it is willing to listen.
On April 1, Miren Arzalluz took over the direction of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and today, with the presentation of the exhibition of the artists Sergio Prego and Vito Acconci, he made his first public appearance. With this in mind, the Guggenheim Urdaibai Stop platform has held a rally outside the Bilbao museum. Dozens of people have gathered at the side of the sculpture called Mother. They wore a banner with the name of the platform and the banner with the slogan Urdaibai is not for sale in English and Basque has been hung on the bridge of La Salve.
As the change of direction opens the "new era", Arzallus has been formally requested to hold a meeting. The change of direction has been seen "with satisfaction" from the platform because "the Basque and cultural person has taken over the direction of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao". As previously met with the Deputy General of Bizkaia, Elixrespond Etxanobe, the Minister of Culture and Linguistic Policy, Ibone Bengoetxa, and the Presidential candidate of the PSE-EE, Eneko Andueza, they want to meet with the new Guggenheim management to receive their opinion on the project.
Ready to listen
"We want to extend the concerns that the citizens of Busturialdea have and explain the point of view that the platform has," they said.Also, since the political authorities say that they do not know the project and that the decision is in the hands of the museum, the platform wants to partner with Arzalluz to receive clarifications about the project.
Arzalluz has been keeping abreast of the progress of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao for a month, with the help of the former director Juan Ignacio Bidarte, but said at a press conference that he has been working for "three days". For this reason, he states that the intentions and guidelines that he will carry out will be published "soon": "We will share the guidelines for the future, but I am still in that reflection with the whole team."
However, he reports that the Urdaibai project is on the table "among other things", explaining his willingness to listen to the members of the platform: "I also listen with all due respect to the fact that they are out there today, and the willingness to listen and be open will always be there," the News reports.
First presentation in Basque
Despite the tensions between the platform and the authorities, Miren Arzalluz has offered a greater presence to the Basque language than hitherto.The artist Sergio Prego and Vito Acconci made their first explanations about the exhibition You in Basque and answered the questions posed by the journalists in Basque.