Arnolfini (1/2)

The other day, I saw Bilbao in Bristol. Concretely, I came across my home city within Arnolfini.

Arnolfini is located at the Harbourside, 16 Narrow Quay, and it's an international arts centre and gallery founded in 1961 by Jeremy Rees, although originally it was located in Clifton, above a bookshop in the Triangle. The name comes from a 15th century painting called The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck (picture on the right). 

After a couple of relocations (Queens Square, E Shed, Watershed), Arnolfini was moved to the current location in 1975. The building called Bush House, designed by Richard Shackleton Pope, was a warehouse for a local iron foundry before 2003, when a two year development begun to convert the building into the contemporary art gallery it is now.

Arnolfini hosts a wide variety of events, contemporary art exhibitions, artist's performances, music and dance events, poetry and book readings, talks, lectures and many other activities. Many artists showed there artworks in the gallery, for instance, Bridget Riley, Rachel Whiteread, Richard Long and many more.

The gallery has a coffee-shop (right as you enter) which is busy most of the times, and a very nice bookshop (left) with books related to arts and design (see picture below).

That's where I found Bilbao within Bristol: while browsing, I say a book called "Cities" and it had the picture of the Guggenheim Museum in the cover. I am very proud of the worldwide known museum we have Bilbao, so I took a picture of it. :)

There is an Information Desk (Box Office) if you need to ask any question about the museum, membership or if you just want to get the programme. For students, there is a new which doesn't cost you anything and gives you a fantastic range of benefits.

The galleries in the museum are open between 11am and 6pm Tue-Sun. The museum closes on Monday, although the coffee-shop reminds open as usual (Mon 10am-6pm; Tue-Sat 10am-9pm; Sun 10am-7pm)

ARNOLFINI WEBSITE: http://www.arnolfini.org.uk/