Superstar Museums and global media exposure: mapping the positioning of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao through networks

ABSTRACT

Superstar architecture can play a key role in the global positioning of museums in influential mass media, thereby successfully attracting cultural tourism (e.g. the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, GMB). Yet, an evident shortcoming is the mapping of media positioning. The aim of this article is precisely to draw and visualize this positioning of the GMB through networks. Two innovative features characterize this study: first, from a theoretical point of view, it links the debate on Superstar Museums to the broader economic debate on Superstar Economics. Akin to Rosen’s hypothesis, in the case of Superstar Museums, the media exposure is concentrated among a handful of museums. In this context, the authors highlight the role of networks. The central nodes in the networks utilized for the study, depict/stand for museums that have the maximum visibility in the international media. The second innovative feature of the article is the analysis of co-citation networks in articles of the New York Times for two periods (1995–2000 and 2014–2019). The network graphs map the results of this article: the GMB positioned itself effectively with its inauguration in 1997. In addition, 20 years later the GMB still remains quite well positioned.

KEYWORDS:

• Bilbao effect
• Superstar Museums
• information goods
• global media positioning

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Jensy Johny, who kindly read early drafts of the article. She is not responsible for our interpretations. We also would like to thank two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments. The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MINECOR 2015 CREA-NETWORK CSO2015-65265-C4-3-R MINECOR-FEDER).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 To attribute the transformation of the city of Bilbao to a single building (namely the Guggenheim Museum by Frank Gehry) is a little naive. The urban regeneration of Bilbao is a complex and multidimensional process that has converged in a series of strategies that go beyond the ‘Guggenheim effect’. Bilbao tackled its socio-economic problems through a holistic plan, by implementing a large, coherent public policy targeted at productivity and diversity, with a strong cultural component. Regional public authorities moved towards policies aimed at creating competitive environments with very strong elements of innovation, technology, internationalization, education, training and entrepreneurship (Heidenreich and Plaza 2015).

2 Alaily-Mattar, Dreher, and Thierstein (2018) develop a holistic approach to superstar architecture-led positioning of cities, by constructing a conceptual impact model. Here, in this article, we narrow the focus to positioning Superstar Museums in global media. For an updated literature review on star architecture, see Alaily-Mattar, Hall, and Thierstein (2021). For the Economics of Museums, see Throsby (1994), Ginsburgh and Throsby (2006) and Fernandez-Blanco and Prieto-Rodríguez (2020).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (Spain): [Grant Number MINECOR/FEDER 2015 CREA-NETWORK CSO2015-65265-C4-3].