Eduardo Chillida, Mesa de Omar Khayyâm III, 1983. Telefónica Art Collection – Photo Kelly Schenk.
Eduardo Chillida in the Rijksmuseum gardens This summer’s exhibition in the Rijksmuseum Gardens features nine giant sculptures by the Spanish Basque artist Eduardo Chillida (1924-2002), one of the most important post-war innovators in sculpture. 22 June 2018 – 23 September 2018]]>
Source: Rijksmuseum
This exhibition gathers an exceptional group of large-scale works, from different periods, that exemplify his commitment to the complementary notions of fullness and emptiness, interior and exterior space, and gravity and balance. Highlights of the exhibition include “Arco de la Libertad” (1993) and “Homenaie a Calder” (1979). Chillida dedicated “Arco de la Libertad” to freedom, as symbolized by the empty space in the work. “Homenaie a Calder” is an homage to the US artist Alexander Calder and his Mobiles – Chillida played with the concept of gravity in a manner comparable to Calder’s. Chillida made a number of similar gestures to people with whom he felt an affinity, including the Spanish painter Manolo Millares and the couturier Cristobal Balenciaga. Both of these works are on show in the Rijksmuseum Gardens. There is also a sculpture from the famous “Peine del viento” series, in which steel ‘hair’ appears to blow in the wind.
Eduardo Chillida
Eduardo Chillida (1924-2002) began his career as a professional footballer, but when he was obliged to give this up due to injury, he first switched to a course in architecture before moving to Paris to study art.
Chillida was inspired by the Greek sculpture he saw in the Louvre. He initially made sculptures in traditional materials such as wood and alabaster. After his return to the Basque Country, he also began using steel. He was to become a skilled craftsman, able to forge sculptures on a huge scale. It was not long before he received recognition: in 1958 he was awarded the Grand Prize at the Venice Biennale. Chillida’s work is represented in the collections of museums that include the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Kunstmuseum Basel, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin.
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Alexander Calder at the gardens of the Rijksmuseum (exhibition, 2014)
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