#arts

Chillida Leku is hosting the exhibition Tàpies in Zabalaga, sponsored by the Iberdrola Foundation, until 10th January. An exhibition in which the work of the Catalan artist engages in a dialogue with that of Chillida, with whom, in addition to being good friends, he was united by the desire to transcend matter as a path towards spirituality and a humanist approach with which he underlined the transforming capacity of art. Mireia Massagué, director of Chillida Leku, invites us to enjoy the bond between two unique and inimitable artists at the Zabalaga farmhouse.

Art restoration is an eminently delicate process. With modern tools, however, we can restore sculptures, paintings, books and even buildings with incredible precision and surprising results.

It is almost impossible not to fall in love with the spectacle of light, sound and movement of video mapping. Many feel that this technique exists somewhere between technology and fantasy, and is a new striking way of making art. Meanwhile, industries such as the advertising sector already use it to promote their products.

Bringing together the pieces to be featured at an exhibition is a very sensitive process. It involves valuable and unique works of art, with the packaging and transportation of each the responsibility of specialist companies and professionals.

For Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, the relationship between art and technology in the 21st century is nothing unusual. His works, which border on theatrical and performance art and make use of projections, sensors and communication networks, deal with this dichotomy and appeal directly to the observer in search of the answer to the question: How much does technology tell us about ourselves?

Until now, the strict conservation conditions their collections require have prevented museums from meeting the needs of sustainable development. However, in recent years, the California Academy of Sciences, the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro and the Prado Museum in Madrid have shown that it is possible to harmonise the demanding energy costs of a museum with respect for the environment.