The director of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Juan Ignacio Vidarte, appeared today at a press conference in the auditorium of the Bilbao museum to explain the reasons for his decision to leave the direction of the center, communicated yesterday to the Board of Trustees of the Foundation.
Vidarte leaves the management “deeply grateful for the support, respect and trust received” and “satisfied” because the “choral” work of “an entire team” has made it possible to “meet the objectives for which the museum was conceived thirty years ago.” years”.
Vidarte, the only director of the Guggenheim since its inauguration in 1997, will continue to be linked to the museum, with non-executive functions on the board of trustees and a position of “director emeritus.”
The cessation of his functions responds to a “considered” decision, which he had been sensing since the 20th anniversary of the museum in 1997 and delayed the pandemic, and attends more to the head than to the heart, “which asked me to continue.”
“Open and public” process
Vidarte has announced that the transition process in the general management of the museum, which aspires to be “open and public”, will be managed by the German company Antonia Josten and evaluated by a selection committee in which institutional representatives, from the Guggenheim itself, will participate. and Vidarte himself.
The selection process will begin on June 3 and will take place over several months, and the intention is to present a candidate to the board in mid-October.
Vidarte has explained that they are looking for a person with “high qualifications and high professional experience”, with a developed career and who can offer a career of 10 or 15 years at the head of the Guggenheim.
According to the still general director of the museum, it will be “important” that his successor knows Basque, “but not essential” and neither his gender will be decisive (“there is no specific plan for my replacement to be a woman,” he stated) nor his position regarding the project to expand the museum to Urdaibai (“a current project but which is prevented from moving forward by the lack of institutional consensus”).
Source: Eitb
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