San Sebastian and Bilboa, located in Spain’s autonomous Basque Country, are home to some of the greatest museums and cultural venues in Europe.  Located in the western Pyrenees, the Basque Country abuts the border between France and Spain on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, and captures influences from both cultures. In this installment of our City Spotlight series, we explore these two Basque-country centers. 

San Sebastián

Set high above the Concha Bay on the eastern end of Basque Country, San Sebastián (Donostia in the Basque language) serves as the perfect introduction to the region. It’s popular for its distinct culinary offerings, broad beaches, and lengthy promenade on the waterfront.  Sculptures by two of the best-known Basque artists of the 20th century, Jorge Oteiza and Eduardo Chillida, provide bookends to the bayfront walk.

Chillida Leku:  A Basque Sculptor’s Own Museum

Created by Eduardo Chillida during his lifetime, Chillida Leku,  celebrates one of the foremost Spanish sculptors of the twentieth century.  Chillida (1924–2002) is recognized for his monumental public sculptures and enduring fascination with interconnected shape, space and organic form. Chillida challenged the constraints of materials such as iron and steel to redefine the language of postwar sculpture, drawing on a deep connection to the Basque region. 

“Leku” translates as “place” in the Basque language, and at Chillida Leku the artist created a place where future generations could experience his work as he intended, and in an unparalleled setting. Set on twenty-seven acres, the museum brings together nature and art in reverent dialogue with one another. More than 40 large scale sculptures are integrated into both garden and wooded landscapes—some you will want to contemplate from various angles while others offer spaces to enter and explore. 

Save time for a walk-through of the 16th-century rural building of the Zabalaga country house reflecting Chillida’s lifelong deep connection and respect for Basque culture. When Chillida acquired the estate, the building was practically in ruins, and he approached the building restoration as though it too were a sculpture. 

If your travels should take you to Chillida Leku in Spring 2022, don’t miss “Reaching Out” by Thomas J. Price.  Only the second guest work to be featured at Chillida Leku (following Eye Benches III by Louise Bourgeois in 2021), Reaching Out, depicts a young black woman looking at a mobile phone held in her hands, meant as a meditation on isolation and connectivity in today’s world. Price’s work also invites the viewer to reflect on the representation of black people and their position both in the public sphere and in the context of art history.  

The Lighthouse of Santa Clara:  A Remarkable Re-purposed Space

Another San Sebastián “exhibit” not to be missed is Hondolea (Marine Abyss), on Santa Clara Island. There, nestled into the coastline, is a once-derelict lighthouse that Basque artist Cristina Iglesias (who won the 2020 Royal Academy Architecture Prize) transformed into an immersive space that, like Chillida’s’ work, meditates on the relationship between humans, nature and how the two intersect.

Iglesias excavated the entire floor of the lighthouse, and then installed cascading rock-like formations in bronze to resemble the geology of the bay and surrounding coastline. Rhythmic, mesmerizing water flows create the illusion of crashing waves. Aside from its artistic merits, the work is a feat of engineering and logistics, using a complex system of hydraulic machinery. 

Bilbao

As with San Sebastián, the sea is of fundamental importance to Bilbao. Located only miles to the west but directly accessible only by a lengthy bus ride connecting the two cities, Bilbao started out as a tiny port town known for its estuary, where fishermen, farmers, and a noble family or two lived. The city rose in prominence in 1315 when the pilgrimage trail of Camino de Santiago redirected so to include Bilbao on its route. From that point, Bilboa’s significance grew, as trading increased with ports in England, the Mediterranean and northern Europe, and shipbuilding expanded. 

Industrialization in the mid-19th century brought rapid growth to the city, both in terms of area and population. But industrialization came at a price:  Bilbao was considered nothing but an industrial area with no touristic interest, a city of smoking chimneys and a polluted estuary.

Today, there’s not much left of that sooty Bilbao. Natural and economic disasters in the 1980’s left the whole city depressed and without direction, but had the positive effect of presenting residents with a blank canvas. Bilbao reimagined itself as the artistic center of the Spanish Basque Country, with the most spectacular revitalization project to date being the Museo Guggenheim Bilbao. The museum, designed by Frank O. Gehry in a style for which he has become known, is considered one of the most notable pieces of avant-garde architecture of the 20th century. 

Museo Guggenheim Bilbao:  Art and Architecture

This mesmerizing masterpiece of contemporary architecture seems to defy gravity.  The building is home to a collection of significant works of art from the mid-twentieth century to the present day. When first unveiled, some of the pieces in this collection made a strong impression that left no one indifferent, and over the years they have grown in stature, becoming veritable landmarks in the history of contemporary art.

Museum highlights include: 

• Mark Rothko’s luminous Untitled 
• Metaphysical Box by Conjunction of Two Trihedrons, by Basque sculptor, Jorge Oteiza
• Large Blue Anthropometry, by Yves Klein
• Villa Borghese, by Willem De Kooning
• Barge, by Robert Rauschenberg 
• Untitled, by Clyfford Still
• Man from Naples, by Jean-Michel Basquiat 
• How Profound Is the Air by Basque sculptor, Eduardo Chillida 
• Seascape, by Gerhard Richter 

Museum of Fine Arts of Bilbao (Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao)

The museum collection has nearly 10,000 works, including paintings, sculptures, works on paper and the applied arts ranging in time from the 13th century to the present day. The backbone of the collection is the Spanish school, along with a broad representation of other schools such as the Flemish and Dutch during the 15th – 17th centuries, unique works of the Italian school, as well as some examples of Avant-garde and Post-Impressionism. 

Museum highlights include:

• Village Girl with Red Carnation, by Adolfo Guiard
• Figures in a Landscape, by Alberto Sánchez
• Pietà at the Foot of the Cross, by Ambrosius Benson
• Lamentation over the Dead Christ, by Anthony van Dyck
• Around the Vacuum, by Eduardo Chillida
• The Annunciation, by El Greco (Domenikos Theotokópoulos)
• Lying Figure in Mirror, by Francis Bacon
• Portrait of Martín Zapater, by Francisco de Goya
• Portrait of an armed Gudari (basque soldier) called Odysseus, by Jorge Oteiza
• Woman seated with a child in her arms, by Mary Cassatt
• Le Chasseur, by Óscar Domínguez
• Bathers, by Paul Cézanne
• Washerwomen in Arles, by Paul Gauguin
• Nude Woman Reading, by Robert Delaunay
• Kabuki Actor as Wood Cutter, by Utagawa Kunisada

ALSO OF NOTE:

In addition to the museums highlighted above, there are plenty of specialty museums worth your time and consideration. 

In the sleepy fishing village of Getary is the Cristobal Balenciaga Museum honoring the life and work of the 20th Century fashion designer who influenced the likes Dior, Givenchy and Chanel.

The modern slab-sided structure that houses the museum with its glass walls, is worth a visit in itself. It is seamlessly married to Balenciaga’s 19th century childhood home. 

For vinophiles, Bodegas Valdelana, located in the town of Elciego, is a winery that includes a museum focused on the history of the region and winemaking. The winery-museum is built on a cellar dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. To top off your experience, the tour ends with a wine tasting.

For automotive design enthusiasts, Museo Mercedes-Benz Barakaldo Aguinaga offers an impressive exhibition of Mercedes models since the company’s inception.

And because the Basque Country is known for its cuisine, what better way to immerse yourself in the food culture than with a visit to Centro de Interpretación y Degustación del Queso Idiazabal located in a scenic mountainous section of the Basque region, about a half hour drive from San Sebastián. Here, a tour guide will explain many details about the production of Idiazabal cheese, from the breeds of sheep, the shepherds and their lives, cheese making, and the unique features of Idiazabal. 

If you find yourself with extra time on your hands in Bilbao, be sure to check out Euskal Museoa Bilbao Basque Museum. Located in the heart of the old town near the cathedral, the museum offers well-curated exhibits on the history, topography, culture and architecture of the Basque region, and the relationship between those. Don’t miss the giant paper mache puppets! 

[Written March 2022]