Carol Bove Brings Comfort and Creativity to the Guggenheim

Sculptor's retrospective features lounges, interactive elements, and a nod to the museum's iconic architecture

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Renowned sculptor Carol Bove is bringing her signature style to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City with a major retrospective exhibition. Bove, known for her imaginative steel sculptures, is transforming the museum's iconic spiral rotunda by adding plush lounges, interactive elements, and design touches that pay homage to the building's architecture. The exhibition aims to make the typically austere museum space more welcoming and accommodating to visitors.

Why it matters

Bove's exhibition challenges the traditional notion of the museum as a sterile, unwelcoming space. By incorporating comfortable seating, hands-on experiences, and design elements that engage with the Guggenheim's architecture, Bove is redefining the museum-going experience and making art more accessible to the public.

The details

Bove's retrospective will feature around 25 years of her sculptural work, including her signature "pipe monsters" - monumental steel sculptures with a soft, crumpled appearance. In addition to the artwork, the exhibition will include five lounges with plush wool cushions, a "touching library" where visitors can handle Bove's art materials, and chess tables designed to visually complement the Guggenheim's circular geometry. Bove has also incorporated elements from past works, such as reflective discs from her 2021 Metropolitan Museum facade commission.

  • The Carol Bove retrospective opens at the Guggenheim Museum on March 5, 2026.
  • Bove was awarded the Metropolitan Museum's Facade Commission in 2021.

The players

Carol Bove

A 54-year-old sculptor known for her imaginative steel sculptures that defy the material's typical aura of strength. Bove grew up in the Bay Area counterculture and now lives in New York.

Katherine Brinson

A senior curator at the Guggenheim Museum who conceived of the Bove retrospective 10 years ago.

Frank Lloyd Wright

The architect who designed the iconic spiral rotunda of the Guggenheim Museum, which Bove is incorporating into her exhibition.

Hilla Rebay

The first director of the Guggenheim Museum, who referred to the building as a "temple of the spirit".

Gordon Terry

Bove's former husband, also an artist.

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What they’re saying

“Museums are so off-putting. I think it goes all the way back to Plato, who believed the body was really inferior to the soul.”

— Carol Bove, Sculptor (New York Times)

“Carol makes encounters in space that jolt you out of the everyday.”

— Katherine Brinson, Senior Curator, Guggenheim Museum (New York Times)

“I see my sculptures as having the same confidence of that of Serra and those guys, but I don't have anything to prove. I'm not trying to dominate the viewer. I'm working with seduction.”

— Carol Bove, Sculptor (New York Times)

What’s next

The Guggenheim Museum will host a special opening celebration for the Carol Bove retrospective on March 5, 2026.

The takeaway

By incorporating comfortable seating, interactive elements, and design touches that engage with the Guggenheim's iconic architecture, Carol Bove is redefining the traditional museum experience and making art more accessible and welcoming to the public.