One of the most important collections that exist of the work of Eduardo Chillida belongs to the Telefónica Foundation, which has 16 sculptures, among which are iconic pieces such as Casa de Juan Sebastian Bach (1981), Praise of the Void II (1983) o Table of Omar Khayyam III (1986), and 25 drawings. Some of them, along with the monumental Seeking Light I, Council to Space IV, Arco de la Libertad and Lugar de Encuentros IV… that populate the green meadows of the hamlet, have returned to Chillida Leku, “home”, in the words of the son of the artist, Luis Chillida, on the occasion of the double centenary of the artist and the creation of Telefónica.
One hundred years Eduardo Chillida with the Telefónica Collection, the central exhibition of the anniversary, was inaugurated this noon in the presence of King Felipe VI. “It is exciting to see them here again,” emphasized the sculptor’s son, president of the Eduardo Chillida-Pilar Belzunce Foundation. The sculptures had only been seen once in the Hernani museum in a tribute exhibition organized in 2003 shortly after his death.
It was in 1981 when Chillida and his wife, Pilar Belzunce, began “walking alone.” The death of his gallery owner and representative, Aimé Maeght, gave rise to a new stage that led to the purchase of the old farmhouse, which was converted into a museum much later.
This journey coincided with the years in which the Telefónica Foundation began to develop, with works by Picasso, Juan Gris, Tàpies and Chillida, a collection that currently totals more than 1,100 pieces. “We have brought the best we have, sculptures grateful to be home again. They are pure beauty, pieces to look at in silence and let each one speak to us,” said Luis Prendes, general director of the Telefónica Foundation.
For his part, Luis Chillida has insisted on the “emotional factor” that for his father would have meant returning home to the works that were the home of the Zabalaga hamlet before becoming what it is today. On the other hand, he has highlighted the “practical” side that his mother cultivated, who would have been “very excited” to see how, to make room for the sculptures of the Telefónica Foundation, other works by the artist have traveled to different parts of the world. , like Chile and Germany.
