Posted by Δοκεί δε μέτα τι είναι και
χαλεπόν ληφθήναι ο τόπος
“It appears, however, to be something overwhelming and hard to grasp, the topos (that is place, space)”
Aristotle, Physics, Book IV
The Basque Sculptor Eduardo Chillida in the early 1960’s engaged into a dialog with the German Philosopher Martin Heidegger. When the two men met, they discovered that from different angles, they were “working” with Space in the same way.
Chillida has been quoted as saying: “My whole Work is a journey of discovery in Space. Space is the liveliest of all, the one that surrounds us.” He has challenged the Empty and embraced the Horizon. One might say that his mission in life was to give life to Emptiness.
In one of his interviews, Chillida said: “Heidegger wrote a book, The Art and the Space, that discussed my work: the idea of space as a living space that is in relation to man, and the idea that sculpture reveals the exact character of a space. Heidegger asked for my thoughts because he was astonished to find so many relations between his ideas and my ideas, translated into sculpture.”
Chillida was asked and accepted to prepare the illustrations for the book that was first published in 1969. The illustrations below come from the book.
Heidegger’s remarks on art, space and the interplay between the two, written for Eduardo Chillida, question the peculiarity of space, define art as the bringing into work of the unconcealment of being, with reference to “The Origin of the Work of Art”, and characterize sculpture as an embodied bringing into work of places.
Heidegger wrote: “We would have to learn to recognize that things themselves are places and do not merely belong to a place,” and that sculpture is thereby “…the embodiment of places.”
Against a traditional view of space as an empty container for discrete bodies, these writings understand the body as already beyond itself in a world of relations and conceive of space as a material medium of relational contact. Sculpture shows us how we belong to the world, a world in the midst of a technological process of uprooting and homelessness. Heidegger suggests how we can still find room to dwell therein.
Eduardo Chillida
Hommage á Heidegger, 1970
Woodcut 21 x 17 cm
Signed, 55/100
Private Collection
Eduardo Chillida
Bauen, Wohnen, Denken. Homenaje a Heidegger, 1994.
Techinque: Colour etching on vellum.
Depiction Size: 60 x 80cm.
Notation: . Signed and numbered.
Number: 71/100.
Frame: Framed (79,5 x 97,5cm).
Private Collection
Gruss an Hiedegger, Frankfurt am Main (1994)
In 1994 Chillida completed his sculpture “Hommage to Heidegger”. The sculpture was installed in open air in Frankfurt an Main.
Originally published on the 16th July 2010.
Relevant Posts
See also the post I have written about Chillida’s “Comb in the Wind” installation.
Working with Space in a completely different way, I never thought of it as an empty container of discrete bodies. But I do not think of it in such a complicated way as Chillida. However I am delighted when people fill the space with art.
Wishing a great Weekend to the atelier members.
the Space does not exist without the bodies inhabiting it…
in a sense the Space inhabits the bodies, not the other way around…
the bodies are the embodiment of space…
this is one of the elements of the revolution of Heidegger’s theory…
if we follow this line of thinking, it is not the art that fills the space, but it is the art that brings the space into being…
an empty space does not exist, there is no empty space…
the space exists to the extent that it is inhabited…
think about our Galaxy without the planets and the other celestial bodies…
it would not make any sense…
it would not exist…
φιλακια απο την χωρα της ελληναρας…
καιγεται η ανατολικη αττικη…
αλλα βεβαια για ολα φταιει το ΔΝΤ!!!
Σήμερα είχαμε σύνοδο των τριών “τιτάνων” του διαστήματος!!!Εντουάρντο-Μάρτιν-Δεσποινάριον!
Ενδιαφέρουσα η σύνοδος που διοργανώσατε,ψηφίζω δαγκωτό Δεσποινάριον,κοιτάζω με μισό μάτι το ναζιστικό παρελθόν του Χάιντεγκερ χωρίς να ακυρώνω βέβαια το φιλόσοφο και στέκομαι να θαυμάσω το γλυπτό του Τσιγίντα(αν το προφέρω σωστά).
υγ.όλα θα τα πω…!
αυτο το κοπλιμεντο για το δεσποιναριον ειναι πρεπον, αφου η σεμνη καλη μας φιλη ειναι απο τους μεγαλους επιστημονες που ανακαλυπτουν και επεξεργαζονται το διαστημα…
ευγε δεσποιναριον, αλλα ευγε και ρουλα, που εχεις την ευαισθησια και την διορατικοτητα να το ανακαλυψεις, αφου η καλη μας φιλη ειναι τοσο μα τοσο σεμνη…
σε ο,τι αφορα τον μεγαλο χαιντεγκερ και τους ναζι, ομολογω οτι δεν το χωραει ο νους μου…
απο την αλλη μερια, ομολογω επισης οτι δεν με ενδιαφερει καθολου ο χαιντεγκερ σαν ανθρωπος, αφου ουτε τον ηξερα ουτε και θα τον γνωρισω ποτε…
σε ενα βιβλιο που εκδοθηκε προσφατα και αφορα την σχεση του με την γυναικα του, αναδεικνυεται οτι ο ανθρωπος ηταν …. ανθρωπος, γεματος αντιφασεις, αδυναμιες, και αλλα πολλα…
η φιλοσοφικη του θεωρια ειναι συγκλονιστικη…
το γιατι ειναι σχετικα αγνωστος ειναι μια αλλη ιστορια…
οσο για τον παμμεγιστο τσιγιντα (ευγε ρουλα!) (αλλα τις η προφορα!) και αυτος ειναι σχετικα αγνωστος
extremely interesting post…
“give life to emptiness…”
what a phrase! και τι δεν θα έδινα να συμμετέχω σε μια τέτοια δράση
γεια
Space is defined not by itself, but by the objects inhabiting it.
It is not the objects dwelling in space, but Space dwelling in the objects. This dwelling of Space into the Objects is what actualizes Space.
Chillida gave life to emptiness by creating the Objects whithin which Space dwells.
oh maitre! you made me totally confused… which is dwelling where in the end? χαχαχα
καλά λένε χαλεπόν ληφθήναι ο τόπος 🙂
αν ηταν ευκολο ναταλια μου, θα το κανανε ολοι!
που θα παει ομως, θα το βρουμε στο τελος! (ελπιζω λιγο πριν)
καλημερα!
Ευχαριστω αγαπητωτατε και Ρουλα, αλλα με κανετε και κοκκινιζω, το εχω πει και αλλου. Ολοι μας ξερουμε να κανουμε κατι. Και αυτο που κανετε εσεις εγω δεν μπορω να το κανω. Οταν κανεις κατι με αγαπη εισαι καλος. Ο μπαμπας μου οταν ζουσε μου ελεγε, δεν εχει σημασια τι κανεις αρκει να το κανεις καλα. Μεγαλοι ομως ειναι ελαχιστοι κι αυτους τους γνωριζουν ολοι. Αγαπητωτατε και Ρουλα, καλη εβδομαδα.
αγαπητωτατη δεσποιναριον!
δεν αρμοζει η μετριοφροσυνη οταν διαστρεβλωνει την αληθεια!