Chillida Leku reopens its doors looking towards the future
19/04/2019.
[Hernani - San Sebastián] Spain
metalocus, RODRIGO GARCÍA
metalocus, RODRIGO GARCÍA
Located in Hernani, Chillida Leku, where the broadest and most representative work corpus of the artist is located, reopened its doors on Wednesday, April 17, after 8 years of partial closure in which it could only be visited by appointment.
The space will open with the exhibition "Eduardo Chillida. Ecos", a broad retrospective that will cover the entire trajectory of the sculptor, over ninety pieces, tracing a complete journey from the end of the decade of the 40-a few years marked by figuration, until the year 2000, going through the discovery of the iron as the object of his work and the development of his personal language.
The space will open with the exhibition "Eduardo Chillida. Ecos", a broad retrospective that will cover the entire trajectory of the sculptor, over ninety pieces, tracing a complete journey from the end of the decade of the 40-a few years marked by figuration, until the year 2000, going through the discovery of the iron as the object of his work and the development of his personal language.
Detail of ‘Arch of freedom’ (‘Arco de la libertad’) (corten steel,1993) in front of Zabalaga Farm House 16th century. ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
‘Advice to Space IV’ (‘Consejo al espacio IV’), (corten Steel, 1987) ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
‘Searching for Light I’ (‘Buscando la luz I’) (corten steel, 1997). ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
‘Union XXXII’ (‘Lotura XXXII’) (corten steel, 1998) ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
‘Union XXXII’ (‘Lotura XXXII’) (corten steel, 1998) ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
‘Embrace XIV’ (Besarkada XIV) (corten steel, 1999) ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago
‘Listening to the Stone IV’ (‘Escuchando la piedra IV’) (corten Steel,1996) granito ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
Detail of ‘Arch of freedom’ (‘Arco de la libertad’) (corten steel,1993) in front of Zabalaga Farm House 16th century and ‘Advice to Space IV’ (‘Consejo al Espacio IV’) (acero corten, 1987) ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Mikel Chillida.
‘In Praise of Emptiness VI’ (‘Elogio al vacío VI’) (acero corten, 2000) ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Mikel Chillida.
Arco de la libertad (Arch of Freedom) (corten steel, 1993). ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Mikel Chillida.
‘Lotura XXXII’ (Union XXXII),(corten steel, 1998) on Chillida Leku. ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
People visiting Chillida Leku in the shadow of ‘Searching for Light I’ (‘Buscando la luz I’) (corten steel, 1997). ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Mikel Chillida.
Eduardo Chillida in ‘Searching for Light I’ (‘Buscando la luz I’) (corten steel, 1997) during the early oxidation stages of the piece. ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Stephan Erfurt.
Sunrise over Zuhaitz VI (Tree VI) (corten steel, 1999) in Chillida Leku. ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Mikel Chillida.
Arco de la libertad (Arch of Freedom) (corten steel, 1993). ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Mikel Chillida.
Zabalaga farm house, 16th century. ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Mikel Chillida.
View of Zabalaga Farm House 16th century with ‘In Praise for Iron III’ (‘Elogio del hierro III’) (corten Steel, 1991) . ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
‘Deep is the air, Stelle XII’ (‘Lo profundo es el aire, Estela XII) (corten steel, 1990). ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Mikel Chillida.
Eduardo Chillida and Pili Belzunce in Grasse with the sculpture Lurra G98 (Earth G98) (chamotte clay, 1985). ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Sucesión de Eduardo Chillida y Hauser & Wirth. Foto Hans Spinner.
Lo profundo es el aire XVII (Deep is the Air XVII) (granite, 1997). ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Mikel Chillida.
Lo profundo es el aire, Estela XII (Deep is the Air, Stelle XII) (granite, 1990) located in front of the south-west facade of Zabalaga farmhouse (16th century). ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Mikel Chillida.
Zabalaga Farmhouse, sixteenth century, heart of Chillida Leku. © Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
View of Eduardo Chillida. Echoes © Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Succession of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Gonzalo Machado.
View of Eduardo Chillida. Echoes © Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Succession of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Gonzalo Machado.
View of Eduardo Chillida. Echoes © Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Succession of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Gonzalo Machado.
View of Eduardo Chillida. Echoes © Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Succession of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Gonzalo Machado.
View of Eduardo Chillida. Echoes © Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Succession of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Gonzalo Machado.
View of Eduardo Chillida. Echoes © Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Succession of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Gonzalo Machado.
View of Eduardo Chillida. Echoes © Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Succession of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Gonzalo Machado.
View of Eduardo Chillida. Echoes © Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Succession of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Gonzalo Machado.
Pavilion view ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
Pavilion view ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
Pavilion view ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
Pavilion view ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
Pavilion view ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
Pavilion view ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
Pavilion view ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
Pavilion view ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
Pavilion view ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
Lotura XXXII (Union XXXII) (corten steel, 1998) on the hill of Chillida Leku. ©Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Mikel Chillida.
Mireia Massagué. Photo Mikel Chillida.
Luis Chillida. Photo Mikel Chillida.
Ignacio Chillida. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
Luis Laplace. Photo Iñigo Santiago.
Piet Oudolf. Photo Mikel Chillida.
Peine del viento XV (Comb of the Wind XV) (corteen steel, 1977) in San Sebastian. © Zabalaga Leku. San Sebastián, VEGAP, 2019. Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth. Photo Catalá Roca.
The exhibition brings together works of iron, granite, alabaster, plaster and paper, without neglecting significant series such as Gravitaciones (sculptures on paper where relief and emptiness are especially important) and Lurras y Óxidos (pieces made with chamotte earth). But the works of this first exhibition do not come only from the Succession of Eduardo Chillida, but also pieces coming from loans of museums, institutions and private collections that rarely have been exposed previously.
In addition, in the sample you can also discover important archival material which includes photographs, original manuscripts, correspondence or catalogs of exhibitions of the first years of his artistic career, all belonging to Eduardo Chillida's archive, permanently preserved In the museum. The exhibition will be displayed in chronological order, so that the visit is a trip to the life and career of Eduardo Chillida.
To be able to accommodate a large influx of visitors again, it has had to carry out in Chillida Leku a respectful renewal to adapt it to the needs of the current public, being faithful to the memory of Eduardo Chillida. The Paris studio Laplace has been responsible for this restoration that includes new lighting, insulation, a sustainable coffee and better access for visitors, with the collaboration of the Dutch landscape painter Piet Oudolf for the design of the site surrounding the landlord.
In addition, in the sample you can also discover important archival material which includes photographs, original manuscripts, correspondence or catalogs of exhibitions of the first years of his artistic career, all belonging to Eduardo Chillida's archive, permanently preserved In the museum. The exhibition will be displayed in chronological order, so that the visit is a trip to the life and career of Eduardo Chillida.
To be able to accommodate a large influx of visitors again, it has had to carry out in Chillida Leku a respectful renewal to adapt it to the needs of the current public, being faithful to the memory of Eduardo Chillida. The Paris studio Laplace has been responsible for this restoration that includes new lighting, insulation, a sustainable coffee and better access for visitors, with the collaboration of the Dutch landscape painter Piet Oudolf for the design of the site surrounding the landlord.
"The museum is the center of Chillida's universe, the best place to know and spread his work, a project rooted in his land." We celebrate this new stage of the museum, which we have renewed to adapt it to the needs of the 21st century. "
.Mireia Massagué, director of the museum
About Chillida Leku, an author's museum.
Founded by Eduardo Chillida during his lifetime, Chillida Leku is home to the most comprehensive body of works by the artist. It is located on the outskirts of Hernani near San Sebastián and comprises a sculpture park and an exhibition space inside the converted caserío Zabalaga, a traditional Basque country house dating from the sixteenth century.
Once the works were concluded and the caserío was brought back to optimum conditions, the museum opened to the public on 16 September 2000, and since that date, Chillida Leku upheld its mission to promote and conserve his work.
In order to interfere as little as possible in the museum’s unique natural surroundings, Chillida Leku has barely any signage or explanatory panels. Instead, twenty of the sculptures located around the gardens, as well as ten works exhibited inside the caserío will have QR codes so that visitors to the museum can scan them for further information.
About the exhibition "Eduardo Chillida. Echoes".
The title of the exhibition is borrowed from Oyarak I (Echoes I), an iron sculpture from 1954 on view on the ground floor of the museum. The word “echoes” resonates with the idea of repetition, core to Chillida’s practice and a focal point for series exploring one single concept. “Echoes” also brings to mind the sonic quality of the sculptor’s work, materialising sounds that reverberate in space.
The exhibition is conceived chronologically and the walkthrough is divided into different phases, largely delineated by the materials and techniques used in each one, as reflected in the names of the sections: 1948-1951 Paris, first sculptures in plaster; Return to the Basque Country: first sculptures in iron; Ilarik and Yunques de sueño; Sculptures in alabaster, light and architecture; Lurrak and Óxidos; Public projects; and Work on paper: drawings, collages, engravings and Gravitaciones.
In addition to the exhibition, the series Peine del Viento (The Comb of the Wind) is also on view, one of the artist’s most iconic creations. In fact, this series is earmarked as the first collectible following the reopening of the museum.
"Ecos refers to the concept of music and sonority that Aita worked so much, ideas that have a beginning and that develop over time, in one sense and in another, like the waves and the sea. It is the perfect exhibition for this reopening ", explained Ignacio Chillida, who together with the museum team, curated this exhibition. "This exhibition has allowed us to collect work that had not been in Chillida Leku for a long time, including six pieces that had never been in the museum, it has been very exciting to put these works together".
About the architectural renovation.
The renovation of the Chillida Leku in San Sebastián is the latest achievement by Laplace, the Parisbased practice run by Luis Laplace and Christophe Comoy renowned for projects that require the intuitive and seamless integration of architecture, art and high-end design. The appeal of taking on the Chillida museum was rooted in a lifelong affinity for the artist himself.
Luis describes the project as art direction of sorts, requiring an ongoing dialogue with the language of the site and Chillida’s work.
"My task was essentially to direct every aspect of the project towards a coherent idea throughout the architecture, landscape and artistic design, bringing together the intentions of international experts and the Chillida family, and sourcing materials and artisanal skills locally in a way that would enhance the artist’s guiding narrative."
.Luis Laplace
This organic process evolved over many conversations, with the assistance and commitment of Chillida’s grandson Jon Essery Chillida as local architect.
Preserving the integrity of the building required a measure of repair: the removal of the Spanish terracotta tiles in order to insulate the roof; the seamless concrete of the ground level was cleaned and brought back to life; the timber planks on the first floor were stripped of their faded varnish and re-oiled. Laplace shares with the artist a finely tuned affinity for the keynotes of light, tone and texture.
One of Chillida’s pragmatic choices had been to divide the upper space into smaller climate-controlled rooms for his works on paper. In the interest of creating optimal circulation, these works were relocated externally and the original open flow was restored.
About the landscape and gardens.
Piet Oudolf has been responsible for performing a series of new designs for the landscape surrounding the farmhouse. The project is a collaboration with landscape designer Alvaro de la Rosa Maura.
The key characteristics of the work of renowned landscape designer Piet Oudolf are his interest in introducing lightness, movement and change. Oudolf designs work with nature to create painterly effects and as the plants grow, mature and die they will create a new context for the sculptural and geological language of Chillida’s works. The passing of the seasons will be reflected in the plants, shrubs and the grasses which constitute his planting scheme. The plant palette used by Oudolf has been carefully chosen for the climate of northern Spain and it blends into the landscape employing new and exciting varieties of the species predicated on an ecological approach.
Luis Chillida, president of the Eduardo Chillida Foundation and Pilar Belzunce, has been very excited about this new stage.
"Once again my parents' dream is fulfilled: that all the people who wish to have access to Chillida Leku and enjoy their work and this space that they dedicated so much time and work to".
More information
Director
Mireia Massagué.
Curators
Ignacio Chillida and the museum’s exhibitions staff.
Dates
Public Opening.- April the 17th 2019.
Hours
From April to September.- Wed. to Mon.: 10.00 am - 8.00 pm.
From November to February.- Wed. to Mon.: 10.00 am - 6.00 pm.
October and March.- Wed. to Mon: 10.00 am – 7.00 pm.
Closed on Tuesdays, except holidays.
Location
Barrio Jauregui, 66, Hernani, Gipuzkoa.
Eduardo Chillida
Eduardo Chillida (San Sebastián, January 10, 1924 - San Sebastián, August 19, 2002) was a Spanish sculptor and engraver known for his work in iron and concrete, outstanding continuator of the tradition of Julio González and Pablo Picasso. He initially enrolled in architecture at the University of Madrid before turning his attention to drawing which he studied at Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid.
Chillida’s early interest in architecture was to have a lasting impact on his development as an artist, his understanding of spatial relationships and, in particular, his interest in making space visible through a consideration of the forms surrounding it. 1950 also marks the artist’s first exhibition, Les mains éblouis, at Galerie Maeght and the beginning of Chillida’s longlife relationship with friend and gallerist, Aimé Maeght.
Chillida is highly celebrated for his approach to monumental public sculpture and his first major commission came early in his career when, in 1954, he produced the four doors for the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Arantzazu. Another key public commission, a monument to Sir Alexander Fleming, for San Sebastián was finally not installed.
1958 saw several key presentations for Chillida who represented Spain at the Venice Biennale, receiving
the International Grand Prize for Sculpture, the first of numerous awards and public recognitions in his career. He also exhibited for the first time at the Guggenheim in the exhibition ‘Sculpture and Drawings from Seven Sculptors’. At this time, Chillida began a series of sculptures entitled Rumor de Límites (Rumour of Limits). Hewn in iron and steel, they feature geometric components morphed into gravity-defying structures and are at once sculptural and architectural. These totems have their origins in drawing: alongside the Ikaraundi (Great Trembling) series of 1957, this body of work emerged from gestural, minimal, abstract drawings that Chillida produced in the mid-1950s.
The early 1960s was a period of exploration for Chillida who travelled extensively to Greece, Umbria, Tuscany, Rome and Provence. A resulting enduring interest in the interaction between light and architecture led Chillida to begin to work with alabaster, a material which appealed to the artist due to its glowing, translucent properties. The first work he produced in this material was Homenaje a Kandinsky (Hommage to Kandinsky) (1965).
In 1968 Chillida met the German philosopher Martin Heidegger and, the following year, collaborated with him on an illustrated version of his text, Die Kunst Und Der Raum. Both conceived of space as a material medium of relational contact and understood sculpture as a means of revealing how we belong in the world and this consideration of site was central to Chillida’s monumental public sculptures.
A landmark commission for the artist was his Peine del Viento (The Comb of the Wind) which was installed in 1976 in San Sebastián, his birthplace. The work rises above the waves at the western end of La Concha Bay and consists of three steel elements each weighing 11 tonnes embedded in the rocks. Chillida conceived of this work in relation to the horizon and water, two elements which he returned
to throughout his career.
Of the many public commissions, other ground-breaking projects include his collaboration with architect Luis Peña Ganchegui to create the main square at Vitoria-Gasteiz, and his 1988 monument in Guernica. In 1987 the city of Barcelona commissioned Elogio del agua (Eulogy to Water) for the Parque de la Creueta del Coll.
The work of Eduardo Chillida has been the subject of numerous international exhibitions and retrospectives including at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1966); Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh (1979); National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (1979); Guggenheim Museum (1980); Palacio de Miramar, San Sebastián (1992); Museo nacional centro de arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (1999), and Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin, Germany (1991).
Chillida was the recipient of many awards including the Grand International Sculpture Prize at the Venice Biennale (1958), Kandinsky Prize (1960), Carnegie Prize for Sculpture (1964), Goethe Foundation’s Rembrandt Prize (1975), Andrew Mellon Prize (1978, with Willem de Kooning), Grand Award for Arts in France (1984), the Order Pour le Mérite für Wissenschaft und Kunst (1987), Praemium Imperiale from the Japan Art Association (1991), and Jack Goldhill Award from the Royal Academy of Arts in London (1996).
Chillida’s early interest in architecture was to have a lasting impact on his development as an artist, his understanding of spatial relationships and, in particular, his interest in making space visible through a consideration of the forms surrounding it. 1950 also marks the artist’s first exhibition, Les mains éblouis, at Galerie Maeght and the beginning of Chillida’s longlife relationship with friend and gallerist, Aimé Maeght.
Chillida is highly celebrated for his approach to monumental public sculpture and his first major commission came early in his career when, in 1954, he produced the four doors for the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Arantzazu. Another key public commission, a monument to Sir Alexander Fleming, for San Sebastián was finally not installed.
1958 saw several key presentations for Chillida who represented Spain at the Venice Biennale, receiving
the International Grand Prize for Sculpture, the first of numerous awards and public recognitions in his career. He also exhibited for the first time at the Guggenheim in the exhibition ‘Sculpture and Drawings from Seven Sculptors’. At this time, Chillida began a series of sculptures entitled Rumor de Límites (Rumour of Limits). Hewn in iron and steel, they feature geometric components morphed into gravity-defying structures and are at once sculptural and architectural. These totems have their origins in drawing: alongside the Ikaraundi (Great Trembling) series of 1957, this body of work emerged from gestural, minimal, abstract drawings that Chillida produced in the mid-1950s.
The early 1960s was a period of exploration for Chillida who travelled extensively to Greece, Umbria, Tuscany, Rome and Provence. A resulting enduring interest in the interaction between light and architecture led Chillida to begin to work with alabaster, a material which appealed to the artist due to its glowing, translucent properties. The first work he produced in this material was Homenaje a Kandinsky (Hommage to Kandinsky) (1965).
In 1968 Chillida met the German philosopher Martin Heidegger and, the following year, collaborated with him on an illustrated version of his text, Die Kunst Und Der Raum. Both conceived of space as a material medium of relational contact and understood sculpture as a means of revealing how we belong in the world and this consideration of site was central to Chillida’s monumental public sculptures.
A landmark commission for the artist was his Peine del Viento (The Comb of the Wind) which was installed in 1976 in San Sebastián, his birthplace. The work rises above the waves at the western end of La Concha Bay and consists of three steel elements each weighing 11 tonnes embedded in the rocks. Chillida conceived of this work in relation to the horizon and water, two elements which he returned
to throughout his career.
Of the many public commissions, other ground-breaking projects include his collaboration with architect Luis Peña Ganchegui to create the main square at Vitoria-Gasteiz, and his 1988 monument in Guernica. In 1987 the city of Barcelona commissioned Elogio del agua (Eulogy to Water) for the Parque de la Creueta del Coll.
The work of Eduardo Chillida has been the subject of numerous international exhibitions and retrospectives including at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1966); Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh (1979); National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (1979); Guggenheim Museum (1980); Palacio de Miramar, San Sebastián (1992); Museo nacional centro de arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (1999), and Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin, Germany (1991).
Chillida was the recipient of many awards including the Grand International Sculpture Prize at the Venice Biennale (1958), Kandinsky Prize (1960), Carnegie Prize for Sculpture (1964), Goethe Foundation’s Rembrandt Prize (1975), Andrew Mellon Prize (1978, with Willem de Kooning), Grand Award for Arts in France (1984), the Order Pour le Mérite für Wissenschaft und Kunst (1987), Praemium Imperiale from the Japan Art Association (1991), and Jack Goldhill Award from the Royal Academy of Arts in London (1996).
Luis Laplace
Founded in 2004 in Paris by Luis Laplace and Christophe Comoy, Laplace has developed an international clientele sensitive to high-end design and execution. Through good use of space and light, design concept based on local cultures and traditions, selection of materials and color as well as passion for art and craftsmanship, Laplace combines modern simplicity with great elegance.
Luis Laplace is an Argentine-trained architect with a sharp eye for interior design, taking an unique approach to unite works of art in a living context. Laplace’s talent rests in in his ability to synthesize art and its surroundings in such a way that both remain distinct and retain their singularity, while entering into a supplementary exchange. His architectural goal is to unite aesthetical and functional spaces that can complement and be enhanced by artworks, revealing unexpected nuances, generating new interpretations and readings, and precipitating an altogether more in-depth engagement with the pieces.
Therefore, our competence goes beyond architecture and focuses on interior architecture as well as decoration. We can design a house from scratch and carry out the project to the ultimate details of everyday living. This “clé en mains” service is a key distinctive characteristic of Laplace.
A successful project demands a constant dialogue with the clients to develop a thorough vision of their goals, aspirations and challenges. This communication is essential to develop trust relationship and to deliver a project in line with clients’ expectations.
Our objective is not only to offer timeless and elegant design but also to give practical solutions to 21st century high-end living challenges. In some instances, Laplace may assist clients in their quest for their ideal home by visiting the house before acquisition, defining budgets for renovation and interiors, setting up a team of experts in charge of delivering the project under Laplace’s supervision, etc.
The Laplace team counts 15 professionals, including architects, interior architects and designers. We rely on an extensive network all over the world of real estate agents, artisans, quantity surveyors, contractors, local architects, etc... This network of professionals allows Laplace to deliver projects on time and on budget all over the world while controlling the execution in line with the design intent. Inspired by both South American modernism and the brutalist movement, Luis Laplace likes to mix French tradition and savoir-faire with vintage furniture, exclusive 20th century antiques and bespoke furniture designed and made in Paris. This furniture line, Laplace Bespoke, is currently shown in our Parisian showroom located place Saint-Georges. The Laplace Showroom is also an exhibition space for vintage furniture and exclusive antiques selected by Luis Laplace and Christophe Comoy.
Luis Laplace is an Argentine-trained architect with a sharp eye for interior design, taking an unique approach to unite works of art in a living context. Laplace’s talent rests in in his ability to synthesize art and its surroundings in such a way that both remain distinct and retain their singularity, while entering into a supplementary exchange. His architectural goal is to unite aesthetical and functional spaces that can complement and be enhanced by artworks, revealing unexpected nuances, generating new interpretations and readings, and precipitating an altogether more in-depth engagement with the pieces.
Therefore, our competence goes beyond architecture and focuses on interior architecture as well as decoration. We can design a house from scratch and carry out the project to the ultimate details of everyday living. This “clé en mains” service is a key distinctive characteristic of Laplace.
A successful project demands a constant dialogue with the clients to develop a thorough vision of their goals, aspirations and challenges. This communication is essential to develop trust relationship and to deliver a project in line with clients’ expectations.
Our objective is not only to offer timeless and elegant design but also to give practical solutions to 21st century high-end living challenges. In some instances, Laplace may assist clients in their quest for their ideal home by visiting the house before acquisition, defining budgets for renovation and interiors, setting up a team of experts in charge of delivering the project under Laplace’s supervision, etc.
The Laplace team counts 15 professionals, including architects, interior architects and designers. We rely on an extensive network all over the world of real estate agents, artisans, quantity surveyors, contractors, local architects, etc... This network of professionals allows Laplace to deliver projects on time and on budget all over the world while controlling the execution in line with the design intent. Inspired by both South American modernism and the brutalist movement, Luis Laplace likes to mix French tradition and savoir-faire with vintage furniture, exclusive 20th century antiques and bespoke furniture designed and made in Paris. This furniture line, Laplace Bespoke, is currently shown in our Parisian showroom located place Saint-Georges. The Laplace Showroom is also an exhibition space for vintage furniture and exclusive antiques selected by Luis Laplace and Christophe Comoy.
Piet Oudolf
Piet Oudolf. Considered a renegade in the landscape industry, the Dutch nurseryman Piet Oudolf (1944) has revolutionized the way perennial gardens are designed and viewed in landscapes today. With a new planting style and meticulous attention detail to the plants, Oudolf has forged the ability to break the rules when his eye finds it necessary to do so.
Born on October 27th, 1944 in Haarlem, Netherlands, Piet is known for his warm, generous, and humble openness. Oudolf first discovered his passion for plants after having travelled to England in the 70’s; that trip fueled his imagination to create a different type of garden (Sorin, Gardening gone Wild). At the time, his inspiration was the much talked about Mien Ruys from the Netherlands who was best known for her work at the Tuinen Mien Ruys, a collection of thirty model gardens.
Since 1982, he has lived and worked in Hummelo, a tiny village in east Netherlands, where he started a nursery with his wife Anja, to grow perennials. His garden has since become renowned for its radical approach and ideas about planting design.
With no formal training, he designs through instinct which is inspired from nature. He notes that in a garden, symmetry is easy but balance is trickier to attain, while always seeking to understand what the intent of a design is when looking over an architect’s plan. Using the texture and form of a plant to guide much of his designs, he believes that the color of a plant will fall into place accordingly in the landscape.
It is Oudolf’s innate curiosity, horticultural knowledge, and ability to create and undertake vast, open canvases with a new wave planting style that awarded him the design proposal in 2000 for the Lurie Garden, the world’s largest rooftop garden located inside Millennium Park, Chicago, IL. Working hand and hand with Seattle landscape architecture firm, Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, Piet considers the two and a half acre garden to be his greatest garden to date. He considers his work to be ‘purposeful abandon’, with a very naturalistic feel and appearance, stating that his philosophy while designing the Lurie garden was to bring nature back into the city.
Some of Oudolf’s most influential works in the United States have included the perennial plantings at Battery Park, NY; The Highline perennial plantings, NY; and the Goldman Sachs headquarters, NY. Among the many awards he has received, Oudolf was also the recipient of the prestigious Prince Bernhard Culture Prize, an award given by the Queen of Holland to a person who has contributed something extraordinary to the culture of the county. Oudolf continues to design perennial gardens while also serving as a masterclass in the classroom at numerous prestigious schools around the world.
Oudolf also co-founded Future Plants, a company specialising in selecting, growing, breeding and protecting plants for landscaping and public areas. Oudolf`s recent projects include No. 5 Culture Chanel, Paris, France; The High Line, New York NY; Lurie Garden, Millennium Park, Chicago IL; Serpentine Gallery, London, England, and the Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy.
Oudolf is also a successful author, having co-written numerous books such as; “Planting: A New Perspective” (2013); “Landscapes in Landscapes” (2011); “Gardening with Grasses” (1998); “Designing with Plants and Planting Design” (1999); “Dream Plants for the Natural Garden” (2000); “Planting the Natural Garden” (2003), and “Planting Design: Gardens in Time and Space” (2005). In his 35-year career, Oudolf has achieved international acclaim, and has recently been awarded an Honorary Fellowship from RIBA for developing radical ideas in Planting Design (2012) and the Prince Bernhard Cultural Foundation Award (2013).
Born on October 27th, 1944 in Haarlem, Netherlands, Piet is known for his warm, generous, and humble openness. Oudolf first discovered his passion for plants after having travelled to England in the 70’s; that trip fueled his imagination to create a different type of garden (Sorin, Gardening gone Wild). At the time, his inspiration was the much talked about Mien Ruys from the Netherlands who was best known for her work at the Tuinen Mien Ruys, a collection of thirty model gardens.
Since 1982, he has lived and worked in Hummelo, a tiny village in east Netherlands, where he started a nursery with his wife Anja, to grow perennials. His garden has since become renowned for its radical approach and ideas about planting design.
With no formal training, he designs through instinct which is inspired from nature. He notes that in a garden, symmetry is easy but balance is trickier to attain, while always seeking to understand what the intent of a design is when looking over an architect’s plan. Using the texture and form of a plant to guide much of his designs, he believes that the color of a plant will fall into place accordingly in the landscape.
It is Oudolf’s innate curiosity, horticultural knowledge, and ability to create and undertake vast, open canvases with a new wave planting style that awarded him the design proposal in 2000 for the Lurie Garden, the world’s largest rooftop garden located inside Millennium Park, Chicago, IL. Working hand and hand with Seattle landscape architecture firm, Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, Piet considers the two and a half acre garden to be his greatest garden to date. He considers his work to be ‘purposeful abandon’, with a very naturalistic feel and appearance, stating that his philosophy while designing the Lurie garden was to bring nature back into the city.
Some of Oudolf’s most influential works in the United States have included the perennial plantings at Battery Park, NY; The Highline perennial plantings, NY; and the Goldman Sachs headquarters, NY. Among the many awards he has received, Oudolf was also the recipient of the prestigious Prince Bernhard Culture Prize, an award given by the Queen of Holland to a person who has contributed something extraordinary to the culture of the county. Oudolf continues to design perennial gardens while also serving as a masterclass in the classroom at numerous prestigious schools around the world.
Oudolf also co-founded Future Plants, a company specialising in selecting, growing, breeding and protecting plants for landscaping and public areas. Oudolf`s recent projects include No. 5 Culture Chanel, Paris, France; The High Line, New York NY; Lurie Garden, Millennium Park, Chicago IL; Serpentine Gallery, London, England, and the Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy.
Oudolf is also a successful author, having co-written numerous books such as; “Planting: A New Perspective” (2013); “Landscapes in Landscapes” (2011); “Gardening with Grasses” (1998); “Designing with Plants and Planting Design” (1999); “Dream Plants for the Natural Garden” (2000); “Planting the Natural Garden” (2003), and “Planting Design: Gardens in Time and Space” (2005). In his 35-year career, Oudolf has achieved international acclaim, and has recently been awarded an Honorary Fellowship from RIBA for developing radical ideas in Planting Design (2012) and the Prince Bernhard Cultural Foundation Award (2013).
