Miren Arzalluz Named Director of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Art historian and curator Miren Arzalluz has been appointed director general of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, the institution announced in a statement. She begins her tenure on April 1.

Arzalluz was selected by the museum’s board of trustees following an international selection process over the last few months. She comes to the museum with international experience, including her current position as director of the Fashion Museum–Palais Galliera in Paris, which she has held for six years. In Paris, Arzalluz has overseen a renewal and expansion plan, as well as a collaboration with Paris Musées and the city of Paris. Arzalluz is also a member of Bilbao’s Fine Arts Museum’s Artistic Advisory Committee.

In 2024, Arzalluz received the Chevalière de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. She is also serving as a member of the jury for the 2025 US National Design Awards for the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York.

She was previously director of the public institution Etxepare Euskal Institutua under the Basque Government, which was created to promote Basque language and contemporary culture internationally. Prior to that, she oversaw exhibitions and collections as chief curator of the Balenciaga Museum and Foundation.

Arzalluz holds a PhD in History from Bilbao’s Deusto University, an MA in Art History from London’s Courtauld Institute of Art, and an MA in Comparative Politics from London School of Economics.

Arzalluz succeeds Juan Ignacio Vidarte, who will begin training her on March 1 until she officially takes the helm on April 1. Following three decades as director, Vidarte announced his plans to step down earlier this year in May. For his part, Vidarte facilitated major change within the museum from overseeing its initial development in 1992 to spearheading the construction of the institution’s Frank Gehry-designed building.

“I believe it is my responsibility to promote generational change by facilitating the process of identifying the person who will lead the museum in the coming years, writing another chapter in its history, and to give way to new voices and initiatives that will continue this success story. As an institution committed to the art of today, the museum must remain dynamic and reflect the ideas and perspectives of the next and emerging generations. Guiding this transition is my commitment,” Vidarte explained at the time of his announcement in a statement.

The selection process for Vidarte’s successor was launched via the Berlin–based international firm Antonia Josten, which has experience recruiting executives in the art and cultural sector. Per the statement, Arzalluz was selected for her international experience and reputation among cultural institutions, as well as her ability to bring together “local and global values.”