07 Urdaibai.Indd

© Author: Xabier Sáenz de Gorbea • Editor: General Office of Turist Promotion • Design and photographs: Sonia Rueda • Printing: Flash Composition S.L. • Legal deposit: BI-2701-07 1. Marcos ORDOZGOITI (1824-1875) “La Taraska” (The Shameless Woman) (1870) 2. Néstor BASTERRETXEA (1924) “Mamuak” (Moon Faces) (2005) 3. Néstor BASTERRETXEA (1924) “Olatu” (The Wave) (2006) 4. Néstor BASTERRETXEA (1924) Monument to the painter Benito Barrueta Arteinza (1972) 5. Néstor BASTERRETXEA (1924) “Serie Cosmogónica Vasca” (1927-2007) 6. Higinio BASTERRA (1876-1957) Pantheon of the Bernardina Urrutia family 7. Miguel GARCÍA DE SALAZAR (1877-1959) Pantheon of the León Basterretxea family (1911) 8. Miguel GARCÍA DE SALAZAR (1877-1959) Pantheon of the Martín Gondra family (1909) 9. Adel ALONSO (1953) “Desafío Esférico 1” (1989) 10. Eduardo CHILLIDA (1924-2002) “Gure Aitaren Etxea” (Our Father’s House) (1988) 11. Henry MOORE (1898-1986) “Large Figure in a Shelter” (1985-86) 12. Jon ITURRARTE (1948) “Marimeta” (Haystack) (1997) 13. Nemesio MOGROBEJO (1875-1910) Pantheon of the Gandarias family (1908) 14. Agustín IBARROLA (1930) “Totem Babeslea” (Protective Totem) 15. Agustín IBARROLA (1930) “El bosque animado” (The Animated Forest)” (1983 and 1991) 16. Alberto PALOMERA (1962) Untitled (2003) 7. URDAIBAI The Urdaibai region covers all the area around the Gernika river estuary, sometimes called Mundaka river estuary, which includes Bermeo, Mundaka, Suka- rrieta, Busturia, Forua, Gernika and its surroundings, Kortezubi, Arteaga, Kanala, Ibarrangelua, Elantxobe and Ea. An important number of artistic works are located around this natural biosphere reserve. There are so many that it is difficult to make a selection, so therefore the most outstanding have been highligh- ted. “La Taraska”, partly created by Marcos Ordozgoiti (1824-1875) is one of the oldest works in Bizkaia. The graveyard at Arrazua has a pantheon by Nemesio Mo- grobejo (1875-1910) and the cemetery at Mundaka has sculptural pantheons by Miguel García de Salazar URDAIBAI (1877-1959) and Higinio Basterra (1876-1957), among others. The rest are more contemporary pieces. The dialogue that takes place between the sculptures by Henry Moore (1898-1986) and Eduardo Chillida (1924- 2002) in the park beside the Regional Parliament (Casa de Juntas) in Gernika is quite unique. The town of Ber- meo is blessed with an important donation of the work of Néstor Basterretxea (1924), which forms an open- air museum. The works by Agustin Ibarrola (1930) in Oma are worth looking over and enjoying in contact with nature. Lesser known are Jon Iturrarte (1948), Adel Alonso (1953) and Alberto Palomera (1962), whose works are sited in Gernika, Forua and Arteaga, respectively. 1 Marcos de ORDOZGOITI (1824-1875) La Taraska in Bermeo is a work that hails back to the nineteenth century sense of public ornamentation. The ensemble offers an integration of sculptures of different origins and functions as a fountain to supply water to the town. It is situated beside the church of San Francisco and was inaugurated in 1870. Accord- ing to Azcarraga y Regil, the work was created by the “ill-fated Marcos de Ordozgoiti” (1824-1875). Munici- pal approval was given in 1867 to build two fountains of public interest. Their design is attributed to Antonio Ibarraran, an engineer from Bermeo, although each of the pieces was produced by different people. The trough was made by Juan Pedro Dondiz and the said Ordozgoiti was commissioned to make the column, which is Carrara marble, on 25 October 1868. The sta- tue is made of bronze and its creation was awarded to Agapito Sarragua, who presented several casting models, on 19 July 1868 by official submission. Fina- lly, the figure of “Victory” was chosen, although it has always been known by the popular name of Taraska. It is a term which means “shameless” and is probably due to the curves of her body, revealed by its moving, figure-hugging dress. The piece was cast in France. The sculpture is very well integrated in the town’s festivities and protests. It takes part by being dressed in typical fisher- folk costume, by having flowers placed on it or rib- bons to raise awareness of AIDS or masks against the lack of freedom of ex- pression. URDAIBAI Bermeo “La Taraska” (The Shameless Woman) (1870) 2 Néstor BASTERRETXEA (1924) The bronzes of the three “Mamuak”, also called “Ilargi alandrearen mamuak” were made by Néstor Baste- rretxea (1924) and stand on Erreten Lamera in Bermeo. They are arranged on the outer walls of the convent of San Francisco, whose cloister holds five funerary steles that were installed in 2005. According to the author “It is not unusual in artistic creation to make various versions of an initial work”. They were placed here in 2006 and refer to beings from the abundant Basque mythology, documented by Aita Barandiaran. In the artist’s opinion “their powerful light illuminated the ritual nocturnal feasts in their honour”. They are like phantoms of the mother moon which appear sche- matically. They have great constructive simplicity. The planes are clean and the lines draw severe, enigmatic faces that go back to the rituals of early civilisations. The sculptor from Bermeo is carrying out countless sculptural works in his home town. Some works have not yet been installed, like in the case of the 18 pieces in the Cosmogonic Series. These are to be placed in a circle in the Lanera park and will be inaugurated du- ring 2007. URDAIBAI Bermeo “Mamuak” (Moon Faces) (2005) 3 Néstor BASTERRETXEA (1924) “Olatu” is a colossal sculpture. Almost eight metres tall and weighing 44 tonnes, it is made of Corten steel. A material which, according to Néstor Basterre- txea (1924), is “hard, amazing like the character of my town”. The Bermeo artist has donated it by depositing it on one of the wharfs in the port. On its base is the following inscription “Bermeo nire herri maitea, zu zara olatu erraldoi baten irudi zoragarria” (“Bermeo my beloved town, you are URDAIBAI Bermeo the image of a giant, breathtaking wave”). It was inaugurated in 2006 and is made up of five parts. Three ele- ments represent undulating waves about to rush down onto the other two, which are like prismatic rocks. He has synthesised an impression and materialised it artistically. The piece has special lighting that allows special nocturnal observation. It consists of three spotlights and gives a 90 degree light aperture. “Olatu” (The Wave) (2006) 4 Néstor BASTERRETXEA (1924) The monument has a plaque with the following inscription: “Al pintor Benito Barrueta Arteinza ´tar Be- nito margolariari Bermeo 1873-1953. Bermeoko herriak oroigarria. Iraila, 1973”. The work is by the Bermeo artist Néstor Basterretxea (1924) and stands on the look- out point (Atalaya) of the fishing port, whose mirador offers a fantastic maritime view. Produced in 1972, it was placed one year later as a tribute to the local author on the occasion of the centenary of his birth. The artist has changed the traditional circular typology of the discoidal stele and arranged a square structure. It measures 2.5 x 2.5 x 0.4 metres and is made of two materials. The lower part refers us to solidity and to the spiritual vacuum of transcendence: it is made of concrete and has a triangular-shaped hole that makes it possible to view a perspective of the place. The up- per part refers to people’s roots and the work of their ancestors: it is made of wood and shows a frame- work that draws the constructive structures of the farmhouse. URDAIBAI Bermeo Monument to the painter Benito Barrueta Arteinza (1972) 5 Néstor BASTERRETXEA (1924) Néstor Basterretxea has sought to pay tribute to the town where he was born and has donated a total of 27 em- blematic sculptures which have been installed outdoors. This bequest, which he has made “delighted and for love of Bermeo”, is part of the “Hilarriak” (Tombstone), “Ma- muak” (Moon Faces) and “Euskal Kosmogonia” (Basque Cosmogony) series. The inspiration for the 18 sculptures that make up the “Basque Cosmogonic Series” stems from the mythological studies of Father Barandiaran and they are installed in the Lamera park, close to the Casino in Bermeo. The original pieces were made of wood in 1972 and have been reproduced life size. The artist has donated his work, with the town meeting the cost of casting in bronze, an operation carried out by Alfa Arte in Eibar. In the artist’s own words, “I went in search of a solution and resorted to Barandiaran’s Dictionary of Basque Mytho- logy. With this information I created 18 deities and tried to convert the word into a tangible image situated in space, which sculpture is. This is my fundamental contribution to Basque culture, this non-existent translation”. The circular layout of the series seems to indicate to us that none of the deities is more important than the others, and providing a space for intermediation between human beings and reality. The ensemble seeks identification with the past and makes a journey through Basque mythology. The artist has composed a sober, serious, totemic work, making use of contemporary artistic resources. He has created powerful signs that link the gestural calligraphy which is developed in time and the solid construction that grows wider in space. The work exhales a strong magic factor that broadens the individual and collective imaginary. URDAIBAI Bermeo “Basque Cosmogonic Series” (1972-2007) 6 Higinio BASTERRA (1876-1957) The cemetery at Mundaka stands in a privileged set- ting, from which the Gernika river estuary can be seen. The pantheon of the family of Bernardina Urrutia was designed by Higinio Basterra (1876-1957). The tomb is very high and rises from the ground on a prismatic plinth.

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