Curated by the art critic and theorist Alfonso de la Torre, the exhibition “DEAR MARTÍN!” brings together a number of works by the artist Martin Chirino (Las Palmas, 1925 - Madrid, 2019), underscoring his connection with the USA. The relationship between Chirino and America deepened in the 1960s when his work was included in the exhibition “New Spanish Painting and Sculpture” at MoMa New York, curated by Frank O’Hara. In fact, Chirino was a regular visitor to the USA and exhibited his sculptures at the Grace Borgenicht gallery. This exhibition now on view at Centro Niemeyer includes 27 sculptures and 30 drawings, as well as films, correspondence and photos that highlight his connection with the US art world. Sourced from a number of different public and private collections, each of the works is framed within the context of the artist’s experience in the United States.

The BBVA Collection is taking part in this exhibition with the loan of the work El viento (The Wind). A pivotal piece in his practice, dating from 1972, it represents a spiral that expands into the background like a symbol of the wind. The BBVA Collection has four examples of this sculpture. The artist’s relationship with metal and sculpture can be traced back to his youth, influenced by his father and a period he spent in London. The spiral is a recurring theme in his work, rooted in his childhood, the beaches of Gran Canaria and the indigenous culture of the Canary Islands. Chirino’s sculpture is characterized by its natural fluidity and formal variety, with spirals that twist, open up, stretch, curve and expand.