speeches
Opening of the Guggenheim Exhibition at the Kunsthalle Bonn
Ambassador William R. Timken, Jr.
Bonn
July 20, 2006
Dr. Jacob,
Mr. Ricke,
Distinguished guests,
I would like to extend my warmest greetings to all of you who have come together to celebrate the opening of this exciting exhibition.
It is a pleasure for me and my wife Sue to be able to participate in this event. Our family has a long and abiding connection to the arts, and therefore I am especially pleased as U.S. Ambassador to Germany to support this wonderful project.
"The Global Guggenheim" exhibition is without a doubt one of the highlights in the long list of significant events that have marked the close cooperation between Germany and the United States in the area of cultural and artistic exchange over the last five decades.
I firmly believe that artistic, cultural, and educational exchange programs are the surest way to preserve the close friendship between the peoples of our two nations. Artistic exchanges - such as this exhibition - are perhaps the most uplifting of all means to establish and maintain a foundation of trust.
Throughout the next six months the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn will be at the heart of the international art scene - literally and figuratively.
The over 250 works of art on display in this hall have been brought together from all five Guggenheim Museums - from New York, Venice, Berlin, and Bilbao. The public that visits this exhibition will experience the full spectrum of modern art, transcending national boundaries.
I would like to thank the Guggenheim Foundation for allowing these wonderful works of art to travel to Germany for new publics to enjoy.
I would also like to thank the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn for taking on the responsibility for mounting this exhibition. Without the generous support of Deutsche Telekom, "The Global Guggenheim" could never have been realized. To the directors of these institutions, I once again extend my heartfelt thanks. And I wish all who view this exhibition a most memorable experience.
As prepared for delivery.
