Chillida Leku Museum, a fusion of art and nature in Guipúzcoa

The place is timeless, almost unreal, as the magic operates in front of this magnificent open-air museum. Conceived as a true work of art, the museum is like its creator: unique. It is in Hernani, 10 minutes from San Sebastian, that you can discover the Chillida-Leku Museum, which aims to universalize the works and thoughts of the famous sculptor Eduardo Chillida.

Cover photo credit © Iñigo Santiago

An extraordinary artist

Born in 1924 in San Sebastian, Eduardo Chillida quickly developed a passion for art and its expression. After studying architecture at the age of 19, he began drawing at the Cercles des Beaux-Arts in Madrid before creating his first plaster sculpture in Paris in 1948. His approach to the material was such that he received numerous awards from 1958 to 1996 and was internationally recognized, including the Grand Prix de Sculpture, the Kandinsky Prize (received from the hands of Nina Kandinsky) and the European Prize for Fine Arts. But Eduardo Chillida saw bigger things and dreamed of an incomparable setting to install his works, a place where people could walk among his sculptures as if in a forest.

A utopia that becomes reality

It was in 1980 that the project for this unique museum developed after the discovery of the Zabalaga farmhouse, a magnificent 16th ^- century building made of wood and cut stone that Eduardo Chillida undertook to renovate while preserving its traditional identity. His goal? " To fill it with a contemporary structure so that we can see the present and the past." Today, the most delicate pieces are exhibited there, while the exterior of the Zabalaga farmhouse is a true open-air museum comprising around forty monumental sculptures. Spread over 11 hectares, it invites visitors to admire, touch, walk around and even cross these works integrated into the landscape, composed of corten steel or granite. More than just an exhibition, the Chillida-Leku Museum is a true dialogue between art and nature where the sculptures surrounded by beech, oak and magnolias are in perfect harmony. Discover for example:

• Lo Profundo es el aire (what is deep is air), a tribute to the poet Jorge Guillén
• Lotura XXXII (Union XXXII), a colossal steel sculpture weighing over 64 tons
• Buscando la luz I (In search of the light I) composed of 3 different steel sheets, a set of more than 22 tons
• De música III (Of Music 3) which reflects Eduardo Chillida's love of music
• Consejo al espacio IV (Council to Space IV), a communication between matter and space
• Arco de la libertad (Arch of Liberty) commissioned for a location in Paris, Arco de la libertad was ultimately installed at the museum by Chillida, in a symbolic location near the wooded area.
• Homenaje a Balenciaga (Homage to Balenciaga) which suggests a woman's silhouette at the heart of this steel work

From culture to cuisine

At the heart of this incredible museum lies the Lurra Café restaurant and café, which envelops you in a warm atmosphere. Opening onto the garden opposite the sculptures, it has a magnificent shaded terrace for al fresco dining in harmony with the very essence of Eduardo Chillida's works. The creative cuisine reflects the museum, composed of carefully crafted organic and local ingredients. Each dish, whether main course, dessert, or snack plate, is a perfect marriage of seasonal vegetables and local products. Healthy and balanced, the cuisine at Lurra Café is the result of a wonderful partnership between the Chillida-Leku Museum and Orona Fundazioa, who aim to offer local and responsible food to visitors and employees.

To have lunch at Lurra Café, you must have a museum ticket or annual pass.

Events organized throughout the year

The Chillada-Leku Museum is animated by numerous exhibitions presenting works of art, but also intimate portraits of personalities, as is the case this year with the highlighting of Pilar Belzunce, the wife of Eduardo Chillida. Summer is also a rich cultural period in Hernani with the organization of various events such as:

• Concerts
• Outdoor movie nights
• Meditation sessions
• Yoga mornings between brunch and sculptures

Ceramic workshops, meditation and mindful drawing courses, dance classes and an inclusive education program (Lotura) complete the Chillida-Leku Museum's programming.

Chillida-Leku Museum, some practical information

The museum is located in Hernani, 10 minutes from San Sebastián in the Guipúzcoa region. It is accessible by car with free parking available, and can also be reached by bus BU05, which stops in front of the museum and runs every half hour from the center of Donostia-San Sebastián. Once there, you have several options:

• A simple, self-guided tour
• An annual subscription
• A guided tour
• A group visit for up to 20 people maximum

Take your time to visit the Chillida-Leku Museum, an incredible work of art with a global dimension that reveals the fusion between art and nature. In the visitor pavilion, a lovely shop concludes the visit with a beautiful collection of art books featuring the work of Eduardo Chillida, as well as posters, clothing, decorative items, and accessories.

The Chillida-Leku Museum, an immersion in the heart of art in Gipuzkoa.

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