The Canal de Madrid Foundation is opening its doors to the expressive power of Eduardo Chillida’s materials in an exhibition that combines formats and techniques to convey to the public his search for simple and natural elements. A total of 60 pieces selected by his son Ignacio Chillida will be on display until the 18th of February and they are made of materials such as alabaster, iron, clay, or paper.Chillida’s work is back in the capital after its last exhibition staged at the Queen Sofia Museum in 1998. “It was about time to come back,” Ignacio Chillida points out, and he aims to “take” the pieces that are housed in the Chillida-Leku Museum (Guipúzcoa) “out“ to other Spanish cities.

Under the title “Chillida, Natural Language” the Canal Foundation exhibition halls are housing sculptures made of a variety of materials, his famous gravitations (paper reliefs held up by thin strings, drawings and collages.
 Ignacio Chillida, the curator of the exhibition and manager of the “Work and Artist” section in the Museum in San Sebastián, stressed the importance of pieces like “Esertoki III” which weighs almost 6,000 kilos and simulates the seats or “places for sitting down” that form part of the “Dialogues” series.

MATTER and SPACE: He highlighted his homage to Pilï (the sculptor’s wife) in alabaster, which was one of Chillida’s favourite materials, “because it takes in the light, absorbs it and then projects it. “This exhibition highlights my father’s approach to matter and space.”
The exhibition also includes several “Lurrak” (‘earths’ in Basque) made in clay, such as “The Poet’s House” that stand out owing to their primitive appearance. The exhibition also includes some of the drawings of “hands” that the artist made use of to study the infinite possibilities of space.
“Eulogy to water” stands out in the so-called “gravitations” section which is closely linked to the Art and Environment concept and this serves to make clear the Canal Foundation’s aims.

THE TINDAYA MOUNTAIN When asked about the artistic project that Chillida planned for the Tindaya mountain (Fuerteventura), his son replied that all that was needed was to try and find the budget and to talk to the politicians for the project to go ahead.
 “Unfortunately my father knew that he wasn’t going to see this project finished,” Ignacio Chillida said, who recalled that next year will be the 30th anniversary of one of his most emblematic works – “The Wind Comb” (San Sebastián).