Hondalea, where water flows to the rhythm of the tides
In the Casa del Faro building in San Sebastian, Cristina Iglesias has created a sculptural ensemble, "Hondalea", conceived as a space for reflection, which artistically recreates, through a large glass cast in bronze, the original bottom of the bay of San Sebastian, where the water flows according to the rhythm of the tides.
The visit is conceived as an experience that includes a journey to a "remote place" in the city of Donostia, and which projects, through artistic intervention, a dialogue with nature and the defence of the sea and the coast.
The artistic intervention that Cristina Iglesias has created in the Casa del Faro on the island of Santa Clara was inaugurated on 2 June, and can now be visited by appointment. In order to keep control of the island's capacity, visits to enjoy "Hondalea" can be made on the website www.hondalea.eus.
"This is a project that
is connected to the defence of
nature, of the seas
and its coasts".
Cristina Iglesias.
The fierceness of the waves
Excavated inside the hollowed-out lighthouse house, Iglesias's work incorporates the peculiar geology and ecology of the Basque coast and the fierceness of the ocean waters surrounding the island.
The work of Cristina Iglesias brings a renewed conception of the practice of sculpture. Cristina Iglesias, using her own sculptural language, intervenes and transforms a remote place in the city, turning it into a symbol of the defence of ecological causes and environmental conservation.
As for the name, "Hondalea" takes its name from the Basque language, a word that has a clear marine connotation. It means "abyss in the sea", "abyssal depth", as well as "bottom of the sea".
Santa Clara island and its lighthouse
For many years, the lighthouse on the island of Santa Clara in San Sebastián has remained empty and abandoned. Inspired by the wild nature of the island, so close to the city, the sculptor Cristina Iglesias has created a work that transforms the interior of the Lighthouse House, restoring it and turning it into a breathtaking sculptural environment.
Reaching the island by boat and contemplating the rocks and the waves from the paths leading to the lighthouse is essential to Iglesias' idea for this unique place and her sculpture. Beyond the transformation of the lighthouse, the island, so present in the city, at the same time maintains its mystery, and remains intact.
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