Cristina Iglesias, organic and circular movement

La Pedrera presents the first major monographic exhibition in Barcelona dedicated to the Basque artist; one of the most relevant figures in international contemporary sculpture.

"Cristina Iglesias. Passages", brings together more than thirty works created over the last three decades and establishes a unique dialogue with the organic and fluid architecture of Antoni Gaudí. Curated by James Lingwood, it proposes a journey through immersive spaces, environments and imaginary places always inspired by the sea, nature, the coast, cliffs, rivers, topography or terrain. Creates sensory environments of mystery; walkable and habitable spaces that combine architecture, engineering, literature and natural elements that skillfully explore the resulting connections of physical, fictional and psychological space. Provides spaces for pause and reflection to inhabit the dream and his occupations include suspended pavilions, lattices, corridors, labyrinths and walls built with texts, as well as graphic work and drawings on various materials. Alongside the space, the qualities of the materials used give rise to a wide variety of confrontations, in the transparencies of glass, the tactile qualities of resins, or the opacity of iron, concrete or bronze; although he also incorporates light, sound and the sense of time as protagonist elements. Many of his installations evoke the memory of the landscape, refer to geology and the subsoil, and invite the visitor to physically walk through the spaces, perceive the texture, perspective and sculptural mass, generating an intimate dialogue between work and viewer. For the artist, art is a way of invoking spaces that do not yet exist. He is interested in how sculpture can modify the perception of a space and how natural elements can be integrated into the work, creating a play between the built and the organic in a constant flow of transformation. His sculptures are called to the occupation, transformation and modulation of space.

Cristina Iglesias in front of The pavilion of Dreams (Elliptical Galaxy), 2016. Photography Pau Fabregat

Specifically designed for the exceptional spaces of La Pedrera, the exhibition unfolds as a circular route, in tune with the movement and curves of the building. As the artist herself has stated: “It is a passage, a path, a journey through Gaudí's architecture and my work”. Thresholds between reality and fiction, past and present, interior and exterior, light and shadow, natural and artificial are present as a common thread that connects everything. Thus, the selection creates spaces starting from the courtyard of Casa Milà, where she has placed Vers la terre (Variation II) (2011), one of the wells in which the gushing of water and movement give the pattern of time, while suggesting eroded caves enclosed in quadrangular cubicles.

The first large-format work is Corredor suspendido II (2006) inspired by the lattices of Islamic architecture, whose frames are made up of texts. In this case they are fragments of JG Ballard's science fiction novel, The Crystal World . On the other hand, The pavilion of dreams ( Elliptical galaxy ), is conceived from texts of Solaris by Stanisław Lem. Two installations that are like intimate chapels of reflection that appear light but are actually made of braided iron.

For this exhibition, the artist has created a specific work for the main floor of La Pedrera, Bosque mineral (2025); a sculptural ensemble on the idea of ​​the passage with five pieces in the form of stone trees that form a geological walk of organic growth in harmony with Gaudí's columns. The architect himself stated that nature was one of his main sources when he said: "Everything comes from the great book of nature, this nature that has always been my teacher". In the same way, Iglesias also believes that everything is contained in nature; he always returns to it as an infinite source of forms and poetry. In the same vein, Habitación vegetal III (2005) recalls an imaginary jungle or forest with a vegetal exuberance that connects with Gaudí's organic nature. On one wall, the bronze sculpture Turbulence (2023), with a large central vortex, brings us closer to a stormy spiral of centripetal forces. It is completed with a series of large-format engravings made from photographs of his working models.

For the exhibition, film director David Trueba offers an intimate look at who is one of the most relevant international contemporary sculptors. "Cristina Iglesias. D'arrel i d'ombra" (Cristina Iglesias. From Roots and Shadows) enters the Basque artist's studio, where she works on her most recent works and reflects on her career. In a way, Iglesias returns to Barcelona, ​​the city she arrived in at the age of 20, after abandoning her Chemistry degree to dedicate herself to art. She has always maintained a relationship there; for example, she has made some permanent works, such as the suspended ceiling of the International Convention Center (CCIB) and there is a work of hers at the MACBA. She is currently preparing her proposal for the Glòria facade of the Sagrada Família; one of the three shortlisted artists, along with Miquel Barceló and Javier Marín.

Turbulence (2023). Photography Xavi Padrós © Cristina Iglesias. VEGAP, Barcelona, ​​2025

An international career

Since the early 1980s, the work of Cristina Iglesias (San Sebastián, 1956) has provided a renewed conception of the practice of sculpture, thanks to her stays in London, which provided her with a very different vision from what was being done here. The search for a poetic and symbolic commitment between the pieces and the space is materialized in a visual and dynamic display. Over the past few decades, she has created permanent installations around the world, including Portón-Pasaje (2007), the ceremonial doors of the Prado Museum for its expansion; Tres Aguas (2014) in Toledo; Forgotten Streams (2017) at the Bloomberg headquarters in London; Inner Landscape (2020) at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston or Hondalea (2021), at the lighthouse on Santa Clara Island in San Sebastián, one of her most emblematic works. Throughout his career, the Basque artist has received numerous accolades, such as the National Prize for Fine Arts of Spain (1999), the Großer Kunstpreis in Berlin (2012), the San Sebastián Golden Drum (2014), the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts (2015), the National Graphic Art Prize in Spain (2019) or the Royal Academy Architecture Prize in London (2020). He has represented Spain in two editions of the Venice Biennale and has participated in international events such as the Sydney, Taipei and Santa Fe biennials, as well as the Carnegie International in Pittsburgh.

"Cristina Iglesias. Passages»

Catalonia Foundation La Pedrera

Until January 25, 2026