why would the leaders of an cconomically depressed, strife-torn region suddenly put all their faith(and their money) into a new Guggenhein Musewu outpost as the answer to their prayers? Why would the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation(SRGF) establish a major satellite in Bilbao, a grity industrial port in northem Spain, and predict its rousing international success? The answer lies in large part in the remarkable salesmanship and sheer tenacity of the Guggenheim Foundation's peripatetic director Thomas Krens. During his eight years to date at its helm, Krens's relentless efforts to enlarge the Guggenheim's domain have by turns shocked, aston ished and bemused the art world. In his hyperactive quest for potential Guggenheim branch sites, Krens has negotiated in numerous cities wordwide. He has simultaneously juggled nearly a half dozen wel-elabo- rated(albeit on again, off again) satellite projects in the US, Italy and Austria He has also completed three important expansion projects invoking major architects: the restoration and expansion of both the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York