Chillida Leku
Spain CCC ES
Eduardo Chillida
2000
Type
Museum
Tags
cultural facilities, Spain ccc
Visitability
Allowed
Description
The Chillida Leku Museum, a utopian concept conceived by the artist and his wife, Pilar Belzunce, was born when they came across an abandoned 16th century Basque farmhouse in the 1980s. This was the perfect place to realise the artist’s vision of creating a space where his sculptures would blend with the nature and landscape of his homeland. It was transformed with the patience of a work of art, assisted by the architect Joaquín Montero. The farmhouse was restored respecting the original materials, resulting in an open space where the artist’s most delicate works can be admired in an architecture that symbolises the roots of his art. Scattered around the outdoor lawn, the steel and stone sculptures engage in an ongoing dialogue with the trees and other surrounding landscape. Visitors are invited to stroll through the garden, interact with the works of art at close range, and even touch them. The works of art seem to have always been part of the landscape, or even to have grown out of the earth. There are no explanatory signs for the exhibits, but each visitor is given a map on arrival with the name of each item on display. Closed for several years due to financial constraints, the Chillida Leku Museum reopened in 2019 with the support of the Swiss art gallery Hauser & Wirth. In collaboration with architect Luis Laplace, the gallery discreetly and efficiently renovated the museum.A visit to this museum immerses the visitor in Chillida’s imaginative and artistic universe. A unique opportunity to understand how art helps build spatial awareness.