Culture
2022.05.19 21:51 GMT+8

UK architect Norman Foster links automobiles to art in Guggenheim car collection

Updated 2022.05.20 20:50 GMT+8
Rahul Pathak in Bilbao

Welcome to an exhibition for art lovers, created by an architect and hosted in a museum.

Motion, Autos Art and Architecture was designed by a man that has helped dynamically change the landscapes of some of the world's greatest cities.

Norman Foster, whose works include Beijing Airport and the restoration of the Reichstag in Berlin, has taken time out to focus on another passion of his – the automobile.

 

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At a time when the car industry is changing from fossil fuel to green energy, this exhibition provides a perfect snapshot of the past through nearly 40 vehicles – each representing the best in their genre.

The exhibition brings together nearly 40 automobiles and links them to painting, sculpture, architecture, photography and film. /Guggenheim Bilbao

CGTN Europe spoke to Lekha Hileman Waitoller, curator at the Guggenheim in Bilbao. She worked extensively with the award-winning British architect on his vision to create a unique perspective of the car.

"Of course, having spent his career as an architect. He has spent a lot of time thinking about these relationships between different artistic disciplines but also ones that cross into industrial design," Waitoller explained. 

"Also, into urban planning and a way that none of these occurs in a vacuum. There is always this relationship between art makers and industrial designers."

Walking through the exhibition, what is utterly striking is how the artistic worlds of sculpture, art, design and photography come together perfectly in this collection.

Each car was chosen for its impact during its era – beauty, technical progress, design or, in some cases, a glimpse of the future.

 

Many of the vehicles have remained in private collections for decades and are being opened up to a wider audience for the first time./Rahul Pathak/ CGTN Europe

A unique opportunity

Many of the beautiful machines have been in private collections and others in public institutions a long way from here. Museum-goers don't need to be fans of the automobile to appreciate the experience.

One visitor told CGTN Europe, "I really loved the chronological order of it, starting from the horse-drawn carriages and advancing into this innovative and technology-driven future –  just cool to see how it progressed."

Another added, "I just think the exhibition is excellent. It is focused on the designs that no one has seen because these cars have not been in the public eye."

In many ways, the collection reflects the different eras that its curator Norman Foster has lived through and where the future lies.

The architect who brought huge innovation to some of the world's finest buildings has given his perspective on an invention that has also completely changed the way we live our lives.

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