The mayor of Helsinki, the Finnish capital, has recently revealed a plan of opening a Guggenheim Museum. The plan requires very careful assessment which may take an entire year.
The Guggenheim museum is a very well respected institution and many cities long to have a Guggenheim representation. The museums are considered a beacon of modern and innovative art as well as grasping and often intriguing architectural presentation. Establishing a Guggenheim Museum involves very careful assessment as well as major financial investment, which not every city has the capacity to find. The most recent enthusiast on the list is the Finnish capital of Helsinki.
Local mayor Jussi Pajunen has recently revealed the city is exploring the possibilities in cooperation with the Guggenheim Foundation. Helsinki experienced a re-birth of art and culture in the 1990s and now proudly presents a diversity of art museums. As Mr Pajunen mentioned, “Helsinki has a special responsibility to keep improving and developing Finland’s cultural infrastructure”. The Guggenheim foundation has been commissioned to conduct a study to suggest a plan to build a new museum. The entire project will cost $2.5 million and may take up to twelve months to complete.
Should the study be authorized, New York, Bilbao, Venice and Berlin will have another ‘brother’. The Guggenheim has proved both a huge success for some and major failure for other cities. Its creation is financially demanding and while Bilbao made record profits, projects in Mexico’s Guadalajara or Lithuanian Vilnius were ended completely for lack of funds. On the other hand, Abu Dhabi is currently building a new colossal Guggenheim museum which shall open its doors within a few years.
The world will probably hear the final answer in early 2012, however, if successful, the Guggenheim Helsinki will have a unique opportunity to show new fresh perspective as well as bring the existing exhibitions from other parts of the world.
