The museums exhibit primarily "high" modern and postmodern art, but some branches have also exhibited commercial art. For example, the Solomon R. Guggenheim has shown exhibitions of Giorgio Armani suitss and motorcycles; the latter exhibition was later moved to semi-permanent display at the Guggenheim Las Vegas.
Additionally, several branches of the Guggenheim are famous for their distinctive architecture. Beginning with the Solomon R. Guggenheim building (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright), and continuing with the Guggenheim Bilbao (designed by Frank Gehry) and the Guggenheim Las Vegas (designed by Rem Koolhaas), the Guggenheim Foundation developed a reputation for hiring major architects and building bold designs. In fact, some claim (or complain) that the Guggenheim buildings are more famous than the art works on display inside them.
The first Guggenheim museum was actually called the "Museum of Non-Objective Painting", and resided at an automobile showroom at East 54th St., in midtown Manhattan. This space was replaced by the Solomon R. Guggenheim museum.
In 1992, the Guggenheim also opened a small space in SoHo (named, appropriately, the "Guggenheim Museum SoHo"). However, this space closed in 2002, most likely due to the museum's financial difficulties.
Also, there were plans around the turn of the millennium for the construction of another, much larger Guggenheim museum on the waterfront in downtown Manhattan. Frank Gehry was hired once more as the architect, and his essentially complete designs for the building were showcased in 2001 at the Solomon R. Guggenheim. These plans were disrupted, however, by at least two distinct factors. First, the museum experienced financial problems in the economic downturn of the early 2000s. Second, the September 11 terrorist attack prompted reconsideration of any construction plans in downtown Manhattan. As of 2002, it is therefore unclear whether the waterfront Guggenheim in New York will ever be built.
Past, future, and potential Guggenheim museums
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