"You can't do this job without traveling," says Lisa Dennison, the director and chief curator of New York's Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. "You have to go to the art fairs, like Basel, in Switzerland, to take in the meaningful lectures and meet with corporate sponsors, collectors and colleagues; you have to see the international art exhibitions, like Documenta, in Kassel, Germany, and the Venice Biennale; and you need to catch once-in-a-lifetime special exhibitions not coming to New York. Then you also have to attend Guggenheim board meetings and the openings of its network of museum affiliates. I'm on the road two weeks out of every month."
Although frequently abroad, Dennison has deep roots at the Guggenheim. After a stint as an intern, she returned to the museum when she was twenty-four with a master's in art history to serve as a "lowly" exhibition coordinator. Over the next eighteen years, she climbed the ladder to become chief curator, a position she has held for a decade. Last year she "closed the circle" on her professional life with her appointment to the position of museum director, yet, Dennison says, "becoming chief curator was the apogee of my career. It has been utterly fulfilling. I'm responsible for the Guggenheim's acquisitions and its exhibition programs worldwide."
Where has your work for the Guggenheim taken you?
I have traveled extensively in South America, Japan, Southeast Asia and Europe. Since we're always exploring expansion possibilities, I investigate the local art scene to see what type of program we would want and which artists we'd like to acquire if the Guggenheim were to open an affiliate there.
How do you suggest a traveler approach the art scene in a new city?
Definitely do your research on the Internet. A site like www.artinfo.com will tell you everything you need to know. You can search for galleries, museums, even artists by location. And always check out which days and hours a cultural venue is open. I can't tell you how many people get to the Bilbao on a Monday and call me in a panic because it's closed. It's also a proven fact that museums are quieter at lunchtime and toward the end of the day.
Are you working on any new shows?
Yes, a major exhibition of Kandinsky—our patron saint—for 2009. I have to go to Europe every three months for meetings with the Centre Pompidou, in Paris, and the Lenbachhaus, in Munich. The three of us have the largest Kandinsky holdings, so we're collaborating on the retrospective.
How do you survive jet lag?
It's never been a major issue for me. I book the latest flight I can and take a sleeping pill. When I arrive, it's usually lunchtime and I have a glass of wine, which balances out the fuzziness in my head. My real problem is that I'm terrified of flying!
That is a problem. How do you cope?
What gets me on the plane is knowing that there is a fabulous hotel waiting for me.
You must be an ace at packing, since you travel so much.
You would think that I'd be a carry-on pro with the appropriate travel wardrobe. But I'm not someone who dresses in black. I love color. It's especially difficult when I attend art fairs and am gone for up to two weeks. I need to bring a different outfit for each day and evening. That's twenty-eight outfits. Before I pack, I try them all on, with the accessories, to make sure they work, because you can't always be certain you'll have a big mirror in your room.
What are your favorite museums other than the Guggenheim?
I really like the Menil Collection, in Houston, with its annex devoted to the work of Cy Twombly, all in a perfectly proportioned, perfectly lit Renzo Piano building. The Fondation Beyeler, near Basel, also by Piano, is another delight and features a unique view of modern art. And then, needless to say, there's the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, in Venice, an extraordinarily personal modernist collection turned public. Small museums like these that very much reflect the passions and individuality of their founders are what draw me to visit again and again.
Besides museums, which cultural venues do you love to visit?
Among my preferred experiences are those that involve some sort of performance. In Madrid I enjoy flamenco. I like to go to Corral de la Morería for an authentic show, and you can also have a very good dinner there. In St. Petersburg, the Mariinsky Theatre is a treasure. Attending an opera or ballet there is like being in a jewel box of gold, crystal and azure. Seeing the Kirov Ballet in residence is also a treat. And of course I love to visit galleries, too. In Tokyo the neighborhood of Kiyosumi has four excellent ones: the Tomio Koyama Gallery, Hiromi Yoshii, Shurgoarts and the Taka Ishii Gallery.
What's your most cherished memory?
A trip I took to Venice in March with my husband and two sons. We were based at the home of the art dealer Michael Werner, who was out of town. It was a five-story house full of contemporary art and Chinese antiques. I bought food at the Rialto market every day and cooked it in "our" kitchen. It was nice to have a different experience in a city that I knew so well. As much as I adore hotels, I think the most memorable trips are ones where you stay at a private home and can participate in a community, just like a local.
Dennison's Travel Picks
Berlin
"I love Berlin. I've been going since the Wall came down. I like the Regent Berlin, across the street from the Guggenheim. It offers an amazing level of comfort. As a repeat visitor, I don't have to think when I'm there. They anticipate my needs." Rooms from $397. 011-49-30-20-338; 800-545-4000; regenthotels.com.
Bilbao
"When I first started going, before the Guggenheim was built, there weren't any interesting hotels. Now there's the Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao, a boutique property with splendid views. Victor Montes, in the Plaza Nueva, is a marvelous place to eat." Rooms from $218. 011-34-94-425-33-00; 800-745-8883; granhoteldominebilbao.com.
London
"In the early days, I never liked London, because I was staying at hip hotels, but my view of the city changed when I found Claridge's. When I'm looking at art in the East End, I enjoy eating at St. John Bread and Wine, in Spitalfields, near Whitechapel. For lunch near the Frieze Art Fair, I prefer Orrey or Villandry." Rooms from $932. 011-44-20-7629-8860; 866-599-6991; claridges.co.uk.
Paris
"I've experienced all of Paris's finest hotels. But once I tried the Hôtel Pont Royal, I was hooked. Its location makes it easy to explore the sixth and seventh arrondissements, especially for shopping. There's a great restaurant in the hotel: L' Atelier de Joël Robuchon." Rooms from $488. 011-33-1-42-84-70-00; hotel-pont-royal.com.
Venice
"I stay at the Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal, one of the city's best. It just reopened after renovations. It has a terrific dining room and a terrace right on the Grand Canal: sometimes your feet get wet." Rooms from $589. 011-39-041-520-0211; 800-457-4000; hotelmonaco.it.
Tokyo
"The Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi is wonderful and more conveniently located than the Park Hyatt. For dinner, go to Kiraku for a multicourse Japanese kaiseki dinner. It's owned by the noted artist Yoshiaki Yuki." Rooms from $595. 011-81-3-522-272-22; fourseasons.com.
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