Let's travel to Bilbao (with art)
It is well known that there are many ways to travel, and that art is one of them, we have amply demonstrated in Traveler. That is why -even in times of restricted mobility- it cannot be ruled out Bilbao as a possible destination. Or as origin, depending on how you look at it.
Because they coincide now in the capital of the Nervión several great artistic events with which to escape to other worlds: at the head, an art festival on paper that is beginning to become a veteran and the exposure that the Guggenheim dedicated to the Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky . There is much more on Bilbao's artistic agenda, and its inhabitants can enjoy it live. The others also have the online option, which does not require physical travel. So, let's travel to the art of Bilbao this fall, even if it's from our screens.
Kandinsky exhibition, Guggenheim Bilbao
THE GUGGENHEIM BILBAO, MORE ABSTRACT THAN EVER
One of the star exhibitions of the season is the one that the Guggenheim Bilbao dedicates to the Russian painter Vasily Kandinsky (Moscow, 1866-Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1944) . Pillar of abstraction, he was also one of the favorite artists of Solomon R. Guggenheim, creator of the collection and the museums that today bear his name . The exhibition ranges from the figurative works of his beginnings to his approach to surrealism in recent years in Paris, often in small format.
Kandinsky's work runs through several channels: he tells us about the origins of abstraction , of emotional expression through color and composition, and also of the European scenarios where the history of the first half of the 20th century took place, such as Russia, Germany and France. Meanwhile, at the Guggenheim - a building that in itself has something of an architectural abstraction - other flashy exhibitions continue: the Lee Krasner retrospective (another pinnacle of abstract art from the last century), the video installation by William Kentridge, nature and light by Olafur Eliasson and the selection of masterpieces from the museum's own collection.
A FESTIVAL IN PANDEMIC TIMES
Paper art festival that originally focused only on printmaking, FIG is the specialized fair in this most important field that is celebrated in our country . From November 26 to 29, its ninth edition will take place, which the current conditions will make the most peculiar of all. Its promoters could have chosen to cancel it or postpone it to next year, but they decided to keep the scheduled dates by adopting a new approach.
A fair specialized in engravings, and the most important that is celebrated in our country
It will be an online festival , but the platform will not be limited to displaying and marketing the works of the participating artists, but will a program of live presentations and debates is maintained . Nor is physical interaction with the public completely renounced: a group of maritime containers will be installed in the middle of the street -a very present element in the commercial tradition of Bilbao- with the interior intervened so that the galleries exhibit their works on LED screens of different formats. “ This is how we will combine the online with the offline ”, explain those responsible.
Forty galleries will participate in the different sections, and there will be sections for a country and a guest city –Bulgaria and Lithuania, respectively Kaunas, European capital of culture in 2022 -, as well as a dialogue between the artists Marta Cardenas and Mari Puri Herrero , two living historical figures of Basque art. There will also be the collaboration of RedCollectors art acquisition consultancy, which provides a certain guarantee to buyers.
THE HIDDEN JEWELS
We will never tire of saying that the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum It is one of the lesser-known gems on the Spanish cultural scene. Currently led by Miguel Zugaza (previously responsible for the Prado Museum), his collection includes works of no less than Zurbarán, El Greco, Mary Cassat or Eduardo Chillida.
Francisco de Goya (1746-1828). The Marchioness of Santa Cruz (1805), for the exhibition 'Masterpieces of the Valdés Collection' at the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum
But what is more, its program of temporary exhibitions now stands out, thanks to the engravings by Eduardo Arroyo (exhibition organized with the FIG fair), the masterpieces that once belonged to the Bilbao collector Félix Valdés , retrospective of graphic designer Otl Aicher (one of the most influential of the last century and author of the corporate image of Metro Bilbao) or the historic mural Lemoiz Gelditu by Vicente Ameztoy, José Luis Zumeta and Carlos Zabala . And the invited work of the painter from San Sebastian Maider López, Arnasa (breathing) , a poetic light installation created specifically for the museum that is activated every night between 8:15 p.m. and 10 p.m.
But, speaking of hidden gems, much less known is the Museum of Reproductions of Bilbao , an authentic chamber of wonders where now you can see the exhibition 20 bodies 20 artists : or how contemporary creators reflect on the physical canon of classical greece a. Among them, Ixone Sádaba, Manu Arregui, Eduardo Sourrouille or Joseba Eskubi.
Joaquin Sorolla (1863-1923). After the Bath (1902), for the exhibition 'Masterpieces of the Valdés Collection' at the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum
A LITTLE CHESS PARADITE IN AZKUNA ZENTROA
It has been ten years since the architect and designer Philippe Starck transformed the old Bilbao wine warehouse into the space dedicated to leisure and culture that is known today as Azkuna Center . His artistic programming never disappoints: now the exhibition dedicated to the Bilbao artist stands out Mabi Revolt, curated by Susana Blas. Achromatic. an immortal game It is his title, and the game of chess his backbone. Under this premise, all the elements that Revuelta summons are deployed: black and white, cartesian order, strategies and spatial movements carefully coded. But this is not all at Azkuna: attention to facilities such as the recently inaugurated Iván Gómez, Kairós prospecting, and those of Néstor Lizalde (an electric coven on the terrace ) and the architect Leticia Paschetta ( white playful landscape).
THE HISTORICAL IBARROLA IN THE REKALDE ROOM
In 2020 Agustín Ibarrola turns 90 , which is as good an excuse as any to dedicate an exhibition to it. In his best-known work, the Oma Painted Forest , Ibarrola addressed the relationship between nature and human beings through his pictorial imprint. This same theme serves as a common thread for Agustín Ibarrola, naturally, which includes works from different periods and formats and spans several decades of his extensive career.
VISIT THE GALLERIES
In Bilbao, there is an interesting ecosystem of art galleries that should always be visited. Among the most remarkable, Aldama Fabre presents the peculiar notion of the landscape of the exquisite Photographs by Jon Gorospe. Meanwhile, CarrerasMugica brings us the work of the 1970s and 1980s by North American Richard Serra -one of the artistic icons of the city with its Guggenheim gallery- along with the young Leo Burge and Daniel Mera. Kepa Garraza in Espacio Marzana, Ishmael Iglesias in SC Gallery and (again) Agustín Ibarrola in Lumbreras are also among the exhibitions that must be seen this autumn in Bilbao.
Jon Gorospe in Aldama Fabre