Cristina Iglesias: Under and In Between

One of Spain’s most celebrated artists, Cristina Iglesias was born in San Sebastián and now lives in Madrid. Iglesias is a leading figure in the international art world, known for her sculptures that explore the relationship between architecture, landscape and nature. Her work often incorporates water, plants, and other natural materials to create immersive and thought-provoking viewer experiences. She has had numerous museum exhibitions and public projects worldwide and has represented Spain at the 1986 and 1993 Venice Biennales and at the 2012 Sydney Biennale. Among her many recognitions are the Spanish National Prize for Visual Arts in 2000 and the 2020 Royal Academy Architecture Prize, for which she is the first non-architect recipient.

Iglesias is an impresario of space and atmosphere. In projects that range from underwater sculptures to citywide installations, she choreographs the experience of our surroundings, subtly directing viewer attention and stance. This is her first United States museum exhibition in more than two decades and surveys a range of work from the past 20 years including wall reliefs, metal silk-screens, liquid sculptures, and video, and debuts a new Cave series of copper panels. The exhibition provides an immersive experience, engaging visitors in rich, multisensory typographies.

Iglesias has increasingly incorporated water into her art. Within this exhibition, Phreatic Zone II—a shallow pool below ground level with water flowing over sculpted terrain—directs the viewer’s attention to hidden sources. Water’s sonic pull is key to Iglesias’s pozo (well) sculptures. Pozo XI, recently installed in the Tassell–Wisner–Bottrall English Perennial Garden as part of our permanent sculpture collection, extends the exhibition outward from the galleries and creates a play between interior and exterior spaces that are central to her work. Similarly, the outdoor world of flora is brought indoors through Iglesias’ ongoing Entwined series of mural reliefs. These cast aluminum sculptures spread across the gallery walls like dense invasive vegetation, aggressive hybrids of industry and nature. Also on view are two videos from the artist’s Guided Tour series, which transport viewers to various urban and rural locales.

photo credits in order left to right:
Entwined V, 2017 Aluminum and glass 118 x 342 x 4 inches (dimensions will vary)
Entwined V, 2017 (detail) Aluminum and glass 118 x 342 x 4 inches (dimensions will vary)
Phreatic Zone II, 2015 Cast aluminum, water, stainless steel, and hydraulic mechanism 15.5 x 207.5 x 99 inches
Políptico VIII, 2003 Silkscreen on copper 98 3/8 x 196 7/8 inches
Aquarium III, 2011 Curved glass, resin with bronze powder, motor, sand, aquatic plants, fish 56 1/2 x 30 x 48 1/2 inches

Cristina Iglesias was born in San Sebastián and now lives in Madrid, Spain. Iglesias has had numerous museum exhibitions and public projects worldwide and has represented Spain at the 1986 and 1993 Venice Biennales and at the 2012 Sydney Biennale. Among her many recognitions are the Spanish National Prize for Visual Arts in 2000 and the 2020 Royal Academy Architecture Prize, for which she is the first non-architect recipient.

Cristina Iglesias: Under and In Between is made possible by:

The Meijer Foundation
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Foundation
Botanic and Sculpture Societies of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park