Eduardo Chillida 100 Years

Spanish artist Eduardo Chillida is among the leading sculptors of 20th century. His works are admired around the world, including Helsinki’s Porthania Square.

Embraced by the futuristic frame of the Oodi Library, this open-air exhibition takes viewers on an artistic journey through the life and work of Eduardo Chillida, a unique sculptor, engraver and draftsman who obtained international acclaim through his iron, steel and stone installations. 

Born in the Basque city of San Sebastián, in 1924, Eduardo Chillida called himself the ‘architect of emptiness’. Considered a builder of spaces, he found his inspiration in nature, music and the universe. His concerns on essential philosophical questioning pushed him to address issues of space, scale and architecture, as well as universal values such as tolerance and freedom, aiming to show the world his work in dialogue with nature. 

Today his work can be found in collections all over the world and has been showcased in more than 500 solo exhibitions and  retrospectives. In 1991 he built his work Helsinki, a two-meter tall looping steel structure in Porthania Square. 

The exhibition includes 38 wide images depicting some of the artist’s masterpieces, his work processes and scenes of his everyday-life in his native Basque Country.

Kansalaistori Square

4.-22.7.2024