October was hectic in Bilbao with the city hosting the 25th edition of MTV’s European Music Awards (EMA). The city aims to keep up the energy this month with events, exhibition openings and FIG Bilbao, the international prints and art on paper fair. Discover Oh So Arty private art tour options in Bilbao here!
I.
Exhibition: FIG Bilbao, International Print and Art Works on Paper Art Festival
Artists: Jorge Oteiza, Eduardo Chillida, Rafael Canogar, Ouka Leele, Katsumi Komagata, Iñaki Elosua Urkiri.
Venue: Euskalduna Conference Centre
Dates: 15-18th November
Formerly a prints & illustration festival, this rapidly growing show is getting more interesting by the year. By slightly shifting its scope towards prints & works on paper, it has opened the way to more galleries into the show. Some unmissable shows are: the Japanese xylography show, La Taller’s space, and Michel Mejuto’s gallery jewels, like a work by El Paso artist Rafael Canogar that was never exhibited before and I bet it finds a new home before the first half of the festival is over!
FIG Bilbao 2018, photo by María José Orihuela
II.
Exhibition: Erlea Maneros Zabala. Work 2017 - 2018
Artist: Erlea Maneros Zabala
Venue: Carreras Mugica
Dates: Until December 7th
Based between Lekeitio, Spain and Joshua Tree, California, Erlea Maneros (Bilbao, 1977) is a widely renowned artist whose conceptual work addresses, among other issues, the conflicts generated by image production and their distribution. A perfect fit for Carreras Mugica’s poetic gallery space.
Exhibition photo, work by Erlea Maneros Zabala
III.
Exhibition: After 68. Art and Artistic Practices in the Basque Country 1968–2018. Part I: Music.
Artists: Pedro Iturralde, Delorean, Mocedades, Barricada, Duncan Dhu, Tulsa, Kortatu, Elena Setién.
Venue: Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao
Dates: Until April 4th
The greatness of this Basque art exhibition is such that this month I’m going to focus solely on one section of it: the one dedicated to Music, located on the museum’s top floor. It is worthy to take some time to listen, even randomly, to the carefully selected musical pieces. Try for instance, Las Morillas de Jaén (1968), by Pedro Iturralde to see how a Basque composer can deal with such a genre as “Flamenco Jazz” and enjoy how delightful it can be. Plus, the exhibition is loaded with lots interesting events around its theme.
Book an Oh So Arty tour in Bilbao here!
Header image: FIG Bilbao 2018, photo by María José Orihuela