Idoia Leache’s work is strategically positioned on the roof of a caserío (traditional Basque farmhouse) in the Madariaga neighbourhood, a location made possible through the collaboration of its owner and local resident.
With this work, the artist explores a play of distance, scale and perspective within the rural landscape, extending a material investigation that she had previously developed in smaller formats. The project stems from a formal fascination with tubular ventilation structures, their silvery tones and industrial geometry. After experimenting with these elements in earlier works – one of which was recently exhibited at the Oteiza Museum in Donostia/San Sebastián, the artist decided to radically enlarge the scale of this body of work and set it against the scale of the landscape. As visitors descend the road connecting Libao with the Black Maritxu meadow, the ring suddenly appears before them as an unexpected object: a kind of sculptural intrusion that simultaneously stands out from and blends into the character of the site. It functions as a visual landmark, inviting viewers to focus their gaze on this particular point within the landscape.
The work incorporates an element of perceptual deception. Its sheen and texture suggest a heavy metallic material, yet it is in fact an inflatable structure kept taut by the continuous action of an air blower. Conceived specifically to be discovered and appreciated from a distance, the work continues its itinerant journey here, transforming and adapting itself to each new setting.
Idoia Leache (Burlata, 1999) holds a degree in Art from the UPV/EHU and continued her training with a Master’s in Research and Creation at the same institution. She has taken part in programs such as JAI at Tabakalera and PEEPA at Matadero.
Her work has been recognized with grants and awards, including Ertibil Bizkaia, the Young Artist Award of Navarra, a studio grant from the BilbaoArte Foundation, and the Visual Arts Grants from the Government of Navarra. She has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions in spaces such as the Oteiza Museum, Sala Rekalde, Centro Huarte, and EtHall Gallery, as well as in programs like ArtNou, Harriak, and GetxoArte.
She is a member of the art collective Heréticas, which explores new forms of collective production based on performance. The collective has taken part in proposals for Rekalde Lanean, Inmersiones Gasteiz, Bulegoa z/b, and Eremuak, among others.
