Another surprise, the Basilica Cistern, Istanbul

After a recommendation from Sharon J we added the Basilica Cistern to our must do list for our few days here in Istanbul. 

What a surprising tourist attraction. This huge, palace-like underground hall, supported by 336 columns in 12 rows is a marvel! The cistern stored 100 000 tonnes of water for the Byzantine emperors. Istanbul, surrounded by sea wherever you look, is fresh water poor.

And like all good tourist attractions the intriguing Medusa stones at the base of two columns, one Medusa upside down and the other on her side, made a focal point that is fascinating and rather quirky.

The sculptures that 'float' in the water are quite beautiful. Having seen the jellyfish of the Bosporous, these blown glass and scrap metal sculptures were my favourite. 

A day at the museum, venturing inside: Guggenheim Bilbao

The inspirational work of El Anatsui, Rising Sea.

The interior spaces of the Guggenheim are as remarkable as the exterior and at times completely dwarf the art. Even Picasso's larger pieces of sculpture looked intimidated by their context. 

One piece, however, held its own. The Ghanian artist El Anatsui's monumental work, Rising Sea, up on the third floor. As it happens this was the last piece we walked past and when I appreciated what I was looking at it completely stunned me. Art from liquor bottle tops.

Quote from Curator: For six decades, El Anatsui has been refining a pictorial language that transcends boundaries of culture and medium. In 1998, the artist began making metal sculpture from discarded liquor bottle tops. The material holds conceptual significance given that alcohol was one off the commodities Europeans transported to Africa in exchange for slaves. The material therefore bestows the work with an historical symbolism that, as with so much of Anatsui's work is as powerful as it is subtle.

His team of studio assistances flatten, twist, crush and then stitch the aluminium tops together with copper wire which took up to a year for this piece! 

The epic scale of the work is a metaphor for the enormity of climate change.

Rising Sea, the expansive surface glimmers like waves, the bottom colour bursts suggest a skyline.

Warhol, Kusama, Picasso 

Meet Puppy, world's largest flower sculpture: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Puppy, Jeff Koons, stainless steel, soil and flowering plants
Entrance to the Guggenheim Bilbao

Puppy at the entrance to the Guggenheim here in Bilbao.

Thousands of colourful begonias, impatiens, daisies and greenery make up Puppy as he stands with dignified attention at the main entrance to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. 

The museum's faithful guard dog.

A monumental piece and also a monument to the sentimental - puppies and flowers. 

He makes me smile and I cannot wait to get back for another look this morning.

 

Tulips, also by Jeff Koons, could not be more different to Puppy. A bouquet of high gloss colourful balloon flowers blown to gigantic proportions.

Tulips, stainless steel balloons!