The transformative effect of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in the Basque economy and society is undeniable today, almost three decades after its inauguration. Its director during this period, Juan Ignacio Vidarte will leave his post next year to a new generation who will face new challenges with the main objective of maintaining the global relevance of the art gallery and its involvement in the Euskadi territory.
Vidarte, who experienced the explosion of Basque economic activity thanks to this cultural project, shares with elEconomista.es THE effects of its development and analyzes the issues of Basque Country to maintain its competitiveness.
Having led what we call the “Guggenheim effect,” it is time to pass the baton. Do you think the expected expectations were met?
The project achieved the objectives beyond expectations and in all cultural, urban, economic, social, etc. areas. A cultural institution was created from scratch to serve as a catalyst for a process of transformation of Bilbao and the Basque Country, in order to project an image abroad in a very difficult economic period. It was proposed to attract 500,000 inhabitants per year and we exceeded 1.3 million and with this all the associated objectives such as development and economic projection were amplified. The economic impact exceeds 700 million, of which 100 million comes from tax revenues.
“The economic impact of the Guggenheim Bilbao exceeds 700 million, including 100 million in tax revenue”
Many regions wanted to reproduce this model.
The project created a brand not only in Spain but also in the world and its effect was reproduced, but without success because it was not understood. This is not an isolated project, because it is part of a set of transformation actions without which it could not be understood, such as the complete sanitation of the Bilbao estuary. It is a more complex project than one can imagine and therefore, even if it was emulated, the result was not similar. It remained, at best, in a museum.
What are the objectives of the museum?
The main thing is to maintain its relevance as a cultural institution in a competitive and changing environment, and to continue to be an element of transformation in society. Added to this is the challenge of being an increasingly sustainable entity, with the aim of being a museum with a neutral impact on its CO2 footprint by 2030. We are the first museum in the world to measure the direct and indirect impact of its activity. . We must also maintain the operational model, a model that allows us to balance sources of income. About a third of our resources come from public contributions and two thirds from museum activity and civil society contributions.
There is also expansion in Urdaibai. What will happen if this does not succeed?
For me, this will be a missed opportunity. This project was born 15 years ago and anticipated keys that have proven to be true today. It is a shame that it is no longer operational as it is increasingly visible that there is a fruitful relationship between artists and the environment. This is a necessary expansion for the museum to remain relevant and offer a complementary experience to that of Bilbao.
“My successor will develop a long-term project which will be the second chapter in the life of the museum”
How does the selection of your successor take place? What does the position require?
The selection began in June and the idea is to integrate next year. As in any process, the maximum is required as well as values such as integrity, empathy, leadership, determination, commitment and, above all, the development of a long-term project to tackle a second chapter of the life of the museum. It is also important to understand the role that the art gallery plays in the region and its relationships with institutions.
Guggenheim Bilbao has boosted economic growth, but GDP has lost weight compared to the rest of Spain. In your opinion, what is this due to?
The vision of the present has lights and shadows, but it is positive. The loss of competitiveness of the territory is confirmed and we must see how to reverse this trend.
How do you see the Basque social and economic future?
I am concerned about the attitude towards work and the loss of values such as effort and responsibility; I am concerned about the high rates of absenteeism and strikes and the fact that the majority of young Basques aspire to become civil servants. We must once again focus on the importance of generating wealth, entrepreneurship and productivity, even if it is to maintain what we have. Generally speaking, claiming rights takes precedence over taking responsibilities at the personal and collective level. Appreciation of effort sometimes takes a back seat to protecting egalitarianism.
What other weaknesses do you see?
We have lost our relative position and our attractiveness, because other sites have improved a lot and we have not. We fail in transport and communications, both domestically and abroad, we lack international projects with a large company based here and an elite university that generates the attraction and retention of talent and investments.
“Taxation is a factor of competitiveness that must be used as best as possible”
What challenges is the Basque Country facing?
We are facing two major challenges, the demographic and energy transition. For this challenge, it is important to define our own model, if we want to be as self-sufficient as possible and be able to maintain an economic model where industry has a strong weight.
Taxation was important in the museum project. Do you think this is used to attract investment?
The tax aspect was important, but not so much from a tax point of view. If there had not been a system of self-government supported by a tool like the Economic Agreement, the institutions would not have had the capacity to face these types of decisions. Generally speaking, the tax system, in addition to generating wealth, must in my opinion be used as a factor of competitiveness.
