Art lovers visiting San Sebastian in Spain will notice El Peine del Viento and other sculptures by Eduardo Chillida all around the city. Chillida was born in San Sebastian and his abstract sculpture is very much a product of the Basque country’s wild rocky coastline, industrial heritage and lush countryside. If you enjoy art with a strong sense of place, read on to discover where to find the work of Eduardo Chillida in San Sebastian and other Basque locations.
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Eduardo Chillida – a life in art
Eduardo Chillida is known for his abstract sculptures, forged in iron or carved from granite and alabaster. Many are on display in San Sebastian, Spain’s Basque Country and in galleries or public spaces around the world.
Born in 1924 near La Concha beach, Chillida initially enrolled to study architecture at the University of Madrid, before deciding that he wanted to focus on drawing instead.
A scholarship enabled him to study art in Paris but in the early 1950s he returned to Spain to settle at Hernani, just outside San Sebastian. Nearby he set up an iron foundry to develop this medium for his sculptures, while continuing to make drawings, engravings and paper collages.
As recognition for his work grew, Chillida received commissions for public projects and participated in international exhibitions including the Venice Biennale.
In 1950 Chillida married his childhood sweetheart Pilar Belzunce and together they made a strong team. She supported his artistic development, managing commercial and financial matters as well as their family of eight children.
In the 1980s they purchased the farm that became Chillida Leku, which they continued to develop as a space to exhibit Chillida’s work, until his death in 2002.
Fun fact: At the age of 19, Eduardo Chillida was a goalkeeper for San Sebastian’s football team Real Sociedad. He was nicknamed El Gato (The Cat) but was forced to abandon his career in football due to a knee injury.
Peine del Viento – the comb of the wind sculpture by Eduard Chillida
If you visit just one of Chillida’s sculptures, make it the Peine del Viento (Comb of the Wind) that is located just below Monte Igueldo. This is Eduardo Chillida’s master work, the setting designed in collaboration with architect Luis Pena Ganchegui.
Follow the path at the far end of Ondarreta beach, to the wilder area of rocks where the three sculptures are installed. As a young boy this was the place Chillida loved to come and watch the sea and the waves.
The eroded iron hook-like sculptures are inspired by the wind and waves that come crashing down on the shore, designed to ‘comb’ but not control the restless wind.
Chillida started the ‘El Peine del Viento’ series of sculptures in 1952, and he continued even after these were installed in 1977, with variations on display in galleries around the world.
The sculptures meld seamlessly into the rocks, although they took a huge amount of effort to install, with scaffolding and a temporary railway used to bear their enormous weight.
We visited on a calm summer day, but in stormy weather the crashing waves create a dramatic backdrop for the artworks.
Blow holes are installed into the cobbled terrace, making an eerie sound like a whale song if you stand over them. Beware getting an unexpected drenching of sea spray, as water spouts up through the blow holes when the waves are high.
After visiting El Peine del Viento it’s worth taking a look at some of the other Eduardo Chillida sculptures in San Sebastian, several of which are nearby.
La Concha Beach – Tribute to Fleming
Homenaje a Fleming (Homage to Fleming) can be seen near the promenade overlooking La Concha Beach. The original iron version of the sculpture was created in 1955 to mark the death of Alexander Fleming, the inventor of penicillin. It was later commissioned in granite by the City Council of San Sebastian and placed on the current site overlooking the beach in 1991.
Miramar Palace – the Embrace
In front of the Miramar Palace, on top of the rocky outcrop that separates La Concha and Ondaretta Beaches, is the Abrazo sculpture. With arms of the sculpture wrapping around the upright sections, you can see the Embrace that it refers to.
The sculpture made of steel was dedicated to the painter Rafael Ruiz Balerdi, who was born in San Sebastian and was unveiled in 1994. It’s somewhat tucked away from view (I didn’t see it when I passed close by) but can be found by taking the path on the Ondaretta side of the pedestrian tunnel.
Basilica of Santa María del Coro – Alabaster cross
At the back of the Basilica of Santa Maria del Coro in the heart of the old town, Eduardo Chillida’s elegant alabaster cross hangs above the large baptismal font. It was a gift from the sculptor and the stone’s delicate translucent qualities fit well in the religious setting.
Catedral del Buen Pastor – Cross of peace
In the Centro district, the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd commissioned Chillida to make a cross to mark the centenary of the church’s opening.
The cross, which is cleanly cut from a rough hewn piece of Alabaster, was unveiled in 1997 and now sits unobtrusively above the church entrance. Chillida gifted the piece to the church, also authorising that they could sell it if the church needed money.
I didn’t even notice the cross when I visited, despite searching for it inside the church, but you can just see it in the photo below, hanging above the entrance.
San Telmo Museum – Estela de Gernika II
Within the cloisters of the San Telmo Museum I found another Chillida sculpture on display, called Estela de Gernika II. Created of steel in 1987, the piece is on loan from a private collection.
It’s one of the many Stele, or commemorative stones, that Chillida worked on in his life, in the tradition of old Basque gravestones that can be seen in the museum. This one commemorates the tragic bombing of the nearby Basque town of Guernika (Gernika in Basque) in 1937, during the Spanish Civil War.
Mount Urgull – Naked Torso – Tribute to Pedro Arana Auzpurua
The simple sculpture in bronze of an abstract male torso, is located in a wooded area on the top of Mount Urgull. An inscription on the piece shows that it was created in 1963, from a plaster sculpture created in 1948.
Despite enjoying my walk on Mount Urgull, I didn’t realise this sculpture was there until afterwards, so I don’t have any photos of it.
Chillida Leku – outdoor museum of sculpture
To immerse yourself in the art of Eduardo Chillida, head to the northern edge of San Sebastian to visit Chillida Leku, (it means Chillida’s place). The farm was bought by Chillida and his wife Pilar in the early 1980s, to provide a natural setting for his artworks. They gradually renovated the 16th century farmhouse and opened an open air museum to allow visitors to wander among the sculptures.
After Chillida’s death his family kept it open for a time, but passed the management over to the art foundation Hauser and Wirth, who were able to reopen Chillida Leku in 2019.
If you’ve visited any other of Hauser and Wirth’s projects ( there’s one near me in Bruton, Somerset), you’ll know that they are beautifully maintained art spaces and visitor experiences, with Chillida Leku being no exception.
In addition to the art on display, there is a programme of regular musical events, and you can have a delicious lunch in the Lurra cafe.
We entered through the small garden filled with flowering plants, to the cafe and new visitor centre, where there is an exhibition about Eduardo Chillida and his life. A path meanders through rolling meadows with sculptures dotted around the landscape, allowing the visitor to touch and engage with each piece from all angles.
Zabalaga farmhouse
On the high ground surrounded by woodland is the 16th century stone farmhouse, that was converted to make a gallery for Chillida’s sculptures, drawings and paper artworks. Formerly owned by the Zabalaga family, the restoration of the stonework and enormous wooden beams was a labour of love for Eduardo Chillida.
The building is now used as a gallery space for his sculptures, with changing exhibitions such as the pieces from the Telefonica collection that form part of the Chillida centenary celebrations.
Among the trees near the farmhouse are many more sculptures dotted around in the shade. With Chillida Leku now run by the international art organisation Hauser and Wirth, the estate is a beautifully presented and restful spot to reflect on Chillida’s work.
How to get there: There is a small car park but it quickly fills up at busy times. You can also take the BU05 Lurralde Bus, running every 30 minutes, from Calle Okendo behind the Victoria Eugenia Theatre in San Sebastian, which stops right outside the museum.
Check opening times and prices on the Chillida Leku website.
More locations to see Eduardo Chillida’s work
Here are a few more locations to see Eduardo Chillida’s work, that you might like to visit as part of your Basque country tour.
Tabakalera – Jesus Uriarte: Chillida Lanean exhibition
While I was visiting the contemporary art gallery Tabakalera in San Sebastian, I took a look at their exhibition highlighting the work of Jesus Uriarte, a photographer who collaborated over many years with Eduado Chillida. The exhibition (now ended) demonstrates their working relationship in which Uriarte documented Chillida’s creative process.
This photographic collection shows the different mediums in which Chillida worked: in Clay, Paper, Steel and Concrete.
I found particularly fascinating the photographs that document the creation of the famous Peine del Viento sculptures. They show how scaffolding, cranes and temporary rail tracks were used to install the pieces, that now seem effortlessly welded to the rocks.
Getaria – the Cristobal Balenciaga Museum
Not far from San Sebastian is the coastal town of Getaria, location of the beautiful museum dedicated to fashion designer Cristobal Balenciaga. Born in Getaria, the designer was at the peak of his influence as a master of couture in the 1950s and 1960s and the museum is full of his gorgeous gowns.
In the foyer you can see another of Eduardo Chillida’s sculpures, the Homage to Balenciaga. It was created in 1990 as part of the series of tributes to people the sculptor admired. The two artists were introduced through Chillida’s grandmother, who owned hotels in San Sebastian that Balenciaga visited.
Although there was a 30 year age difference, Chillida and Balenciaga became friends, sharing a similar philosophy in their respect for the materials, and the emphasis on shape, form and space. The Homage to Balenciaga is created with two pillars of corroded iron, the space between them suggesting the curves of a woman’s body.
Chillida exhibition at Cristobal Balenciaga Museum
The Cristobal Balenciaga Museoa runs a series of changing exhibitions alongside its permanent collections. While I was visiting I was able to see the exhibition Chillida Balenciaga. Folding the shape, which presents creations by Balenciaga and Chillida next to each other, showing their similarities in form and concept.
The exhibition is part of the Chillida centenary program of exhibitions through San Sebastian and the Basque country, celebrating 100 years since his birth in 1924. The exhibition at Cristobal Balenciaga Museum runs until January 2025.
Bilbao – The Guggenheim
At the Guggenheim in Bilbao, some of Chillida’s sculptures are on display in the gallery devoted to Abstraction and Spirituality, together with other Basque and Spanish artists who worked with abstraction. We saw the alabaster sculpture below How Profound is the Air (1996) and another work in pink granite Space for the Spirit (1995)
Eduardo Chillida Centenary in 2024
This year (2024) marks 100 years since the birth of Eduardo Chillida. To mark the centenary, a program of exhibitions is organised, some of which I was able to visit and have written about above. If you are visiting San Sebastian in 2024, look out for these special exhibitions at the Tabakelara, San Telmo Museum, Cristobal Balenciaga Museum, Chillida Leku and other locations. Read more about the program of events and Chillida Centenary.
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This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com
Some of the places mentioned were visited on complimentary tours provided by San Sebastian Tourism during the TBEX conference in San Sebastian.
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