Chillida Leku, the esteemed museum and sculpture park in Hernani dedicated to the celebrated artist Eduardo Chillida, has announced the appointment of Mikel Chillida as its new director, effective April 1st.
Mikel Chillida, grandson of the sculptor, has served as Director of Development at Chillida Leku since 2019. During his tenure, the institution credits him with significantly boosting the museum’s growth, forging crucial strategic alliances, and expanding its international reach. He will succeed Mireia Massagué, who has led the center for the past seven years and will remain involved with the institution in an advisory capacity.
The Chillida family, through its spokesperson Luis Chillida, has expressed full confidence in the new director. They stated, “Mikel’s profound understanding of Eduardo Chillida’s artistic legacy, coupled with his unwavering commitment to the museum’s mission, ideally positions him to guide Chillida Leku into its next phase. We are confident that, under his leadership, the museum will not only consolidate the significant achievements of recent years but also explore new avenues to strengthen the conservation and dissemination of Eduardo Chillida’s work to future generations.”
After reopening its doors in 2019 following a period of closure, the museum has dedicated considerable efforts to strengthening its international visibility, fostering strategic collaborations at both local and national levels, developing ambitious exhibition programs, and solidifying a dynamic array of public activities. Particular emphasis has been placed on educational, mediation, inclusion, and research projects. These efforts have been recognized with prestigious accolades, including the Portimão Museum Award for Welcome, Inclusion, and Sense of Belonging in 2023, granted by the European Museum Forum (EMYA), and the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts from the Ministry of Culture in 2024.
Mikel Chillida stated that he takes on the role with a firm commitment to “preserve, research, and share [Eduardo Chillida’s] extraordinary work with increasingly broad audiences, while simultaneously maintaining a vibrant dialogue with the present and the future.”
