The wild waters of the Basque coast, a lighthouse in critical condition, the peculiar geology of Santa Clara Island: these are ambitious ingredients for a sculptural recipe, but one that Spanish artist Cristina Iglesias (who won the 2020 Royal Academy Architecture Prize) has combined to staggering effect.
For the location of Hondolea (Marine Abyss), Iglesias chose a lighthouse on the cusp of dereliction in which she created vertiginous sculptural environment deep in the island’s rock. Now open to the public, the sculpture is set to become part art, part site of pilgrimage – a recurring combination in Iglesias’ work.
Top: The Lighthouse of Santa Clara Island , Above: Santa Clara Island
Found everywhere from inner cities to remote landscapes, the artist's horizontal fountains, submerged rooms and tropical mazes bring together literature, architecture, geology and botany to create immersive spaces that meditate on the relationship between humans, nature and how the two intersect.
Hondolea is no exception, but what can intrepid visitors expect? Iglesias has excavated the entire floor of the lighthouse. Below, cascading rock-like formations in bronze resemble the geology of the bay and surrounding coastline. Rhythmic, mesmerising 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.
From its conception, Iglesias had planned to donate Hondolea to Donostia-San Sebastián and has worked closely with the City Hall over the last four years to create a striking work that incorporates the distinctive geology of the Basque coast and its rough waters. Iglesias explained on Instagram: ‘The piece is a place that represents the remoteness within the city, a meeting point for citizens to observe, think and reflect on nature and the importance of its conservation.’
In conjunction with the Donostia-San Sebastián commission, a new book, Liquid Sculpture: The Public Art of Cristina Iglesias, edited by Iwona Blazwick and Richard Noble, has been published by Hatje Cantz. The text sees an international roster of curators, art critics, philosophers, architects and scientists weigh in on the social and ecological potential of art in urban and rural space, informed by the themes in Iglesias’ work.
Top: Estancias Sumergidas, 2010, reinforced concrete with a neutral PH; Above: Forgotten Streams, (South-West Side), 2017, bronze, stone, hydraulic mechanism and water. Both feature in the book Liquid Sculpture: The Public Art of Cristina Iglesias, published by Hatje Cantz
INFORMATION
-
At The Manner, New York has a highly fashionable new living roomThe Manner, a new hopsitality experience by Standard International in the heart of SoHo, triples up as a hotel, private residence, and members’ club
-
First look – Bottega Veneta and Flos release a special edition of the Model 600Gino Sarfatti’s fan favourite from 1966 is born again with Bottega Veneta’s signature treatments gracing its leather base
-
We stepped inside the Stedelijk Museum's newest addition in AmsterdamAmsterdam's Stedelijk Museum has unveiled its latest addition, the brand-new Don Quixote Sculpture Hall by Paul Cournet of Rotterdam creative agency Cloud
-
Inside Jack Whitten’s contribution to American contemporary artAs Jack Whitten exhibition ‘Speedchaser’ opens at Hauser & Wirth, London, and before a major retrospective at MoMA opens next year, we explore the American artist's impact
-
Frieze Sculpture takes over Regent’s ParkTwenty-two international artists turn the English gardens into a dream-like landscape and remind us of our inextricable connection to the natural world
-
Yoshitomo Nara’s skittish universe takes over the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum‘Yoshitomo Nara’ at the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum is the first major European retrospective to explore four decades of the Japanese artist’s oeuvre
-
Suburbia: American dream or residential nightmare, asks multidisciplinary show‘Suburbia. Building the American Dream’ digs deep into the archetypes, rise and realities of suburban living, at Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona
-
Harlem-born artist Tschabalala Self’s colourful ode to the landscape of her childhoodTschabalala Self’s new show at Finland's Espoo Museum of Modern Art evokes memories of her upbringing, in vibrant multi-dimensional vignettes
-
Ibiza is the new hotspot for contemporary artGathering Ibiza opens, a Balearic outpost of the London gallery, as founder Alex Flick hails the island’s emerging contemporary art scene
-
Wanås Konst sculpture park merges art and nature in SwedenWanås Konst’s latest exhibition, 'The Ocean in the Forest', unites land and sea with watery-inspired art in the park’s woodland setting
-
Pino Pascali’s brief and brilliant life celebrated at Fondazione PradaMilan’s Fondazione Prada honours Italian artist Pino Pascali, dedicating four of its expansive main show spaces to an exhibition of his work
