Villa Magdalena

We consider ourselves lucky that Donosti is the backdrop for so much art and culture. From the travel-worthy film and jazz festivals hosted annually, to the sculptures by Eduardo Chillida whose work can be found quite literally where our city meets the sea, Donosti´s artistic spirit is very present.

July 23, 2023 by EMT

In our opinion, it´s not just the major institutions, like The Guggenheim or Museo de Bellas Artes (both located in Bilbao), that define a place as art forward or merit a visit. We like to think small towns can make a big impression, and Donosti is certainly home to its own unique and growing artistic community. Villa Magdalena art gallery perfectly exemplifies the inspiring art available to those seeking a visual renegade.

We visited Villa Magdalena after booking our tickets directly on their site. To get there, we made our way out of the Parte Vieja to catch the dBus line 16. This line is one of our personal favorites because the trip alone offers passengers a panoramic journey along the waterfront. We hopped off at our stop, Funikularea, and walked no more than 100m to the entrance of Villa Magdalena where we were greeted by the owner and curator of the space, Cy, who led us into the gallery.

The space itself faces La Concha and sits on the property of a larger private home, Villa Magdalena, which is where the gallery draws its name. As we entered, we learned that the rectangular exhibition space was a former artist´s studio that had been converted to display Cy´s rotating selection of local and international artists. While the gallery is smaller in size, we were immediately struck by the absence of white walls we´ve grown accustomed to expecting from art galleries. In its place are tall, weathered walls that add warmth and a visual story all on their own. The architecture of this home had clearly stood the test of time, and Cy was now honoring it with much care - the visible aging of the space provides a striking textural hue to the art on display.

On exhibit was a selection of works by the late Spanish artist, Alejandro Garmendia (San Sebastián, 1959-2017). As we took in the pieces, we appreciated Cy sharing more context on the artist´s work, his own connection to Garmendi and how the work should be seen and experienced. We were moved by the dreamlike spaces Garmendi created and look forward to seeing more of his work. In our chat with Cy, he not only helped us better understand the artist, but we were also able to glean a bit of Cy´s own beliefs about art and the importance of ensuring artistic spaces exist in places and towns that might not immediately come to mind as art institutions.

Villa Magdalena is proudly leading its own unique vibe and cultural message. It is well worth your visit. To check out what´s on display next, check out the calendar for up to date events.

Once ready to leave, we left the property and descended the short walk back to the base of Monte Igeldo, hopping on the line 16 once again. As we rode along the sparkling bay of La Concha beach, I was reminded that we had set out to see art today, and it was indeed all around us.