INDOC. Documentation Centre about Art and Nature

CDAN Art and Nature Collection

At the beginning of the summer the CDAN inaugurated the seventh work executed in the landscape of Huesca province. Fifteen years have passed since Richard Long made his mark on the Maladeta massif in the Aragonese Pyrenees by creating the first work in what would become one of Europe’s most significant collections of contemporary art in nature.

In addition to showcasing works by internationally renowned artists, the collection provides visitors with an opportunity to discover the natural and cultural environment in which they are set. The landscapes where the works are installed range from the desert hills in the south of Huesca province to peaks that soar to over 3000 m, with the majestic sierras of the outer Pyrenees providing a constant backdrop. The routes leading to the permanent sculptures are signed from the nearest access roads, and each work includes an information panel.

Since their inauguration, articles on each of the works in the collection have appeared in the CDAN newsletter. These pieces explain the essence of each work, its surroundings, and how to reach the site:

Richard Long. A circle in Huesca. (a circle of stones) is an ephemeral work created by the English artist on one of his walks. It was executed on the Maladeta massif in the spurs of the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, in the Benasque Valley. More information

Ulrich Rückriem. Siglo XX. This work, perhaps one of the most photographed in the collection, consists of 20 granite stelae, complemented by the stela Siglo XXI, which stands in the CDAN gardens in Huesca.  The work is located in Abiego, off a road that leads to the medieval village of Alquézar and the Sierra and Canyons of Guara Natural Park. More information

Siah Armajani. Mesa de picnic para Huesca. One of the best representatives of public art at the international level, this Iranian artist came up with a specific design for the Pineta Valley. The site is located close to a number of campgrounds, on the edge of the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park, near the Pyrenees village of Bielsa. More information

Fernando Casás. Árboles como arqueología. In Piracés, on the arid surface of a butte that offers one of the best panoramic views of the Monegros desert to the south and the sierras of the outer Pyrenees to the north, this Galician sculptor created a work that clearly reflects on environmental deterioration. More information

David Nash. Three sun vessels for Huesca. The British artist connects nature with the heavenly bodies in a work that evokes the spiritual dimension of the place where it stands. Nash’s wooden sculpture is located close to Berdún, a village near Jaca from which it is easy to reach the western valleys of the Aragonese Pyrenees, including the Ansó and Hecho valleys. More information

Alberto Carneiro. As árvores florescem em Huesca. The sculpture executed by Alberto Carneiro – winner of the Portuguese National Award for the Plastic Arts – is located on the edge of the Sierra and Canyons of Guara Natural Park, off the road leading to the Nocito Valley in the pre-Pyrenees. The site is right next to a pine grove, beside a stream bed, which makes it an ideal spot for a summer visit. More information

Per Kirkeby. Plan. Recently inaugurated in the Pyrenees municipality of Plan (in the Gistaín Valley), the work executed by this Danish artist encourages reflection by creating ‘interferences’ between sculpture and architecture and invites viewers to probe its defunctionalised interiors. More information

More information and contact

The CDAN has published a pamphlet-guide that can be picked up at the centre. The publication is also generally available at the tourist information offices nearest to the sites where the works are located.

CDAN. Centro de Arte y Naturaleza.
Fundación Beulas

Avda. Dr. Artero, s/n
22004 - Huesca
SPAIN

Tel.: +34 974 23 98 93
E-mail: info@cdan.es

• CDAN website

Source: texts, CDAN; upper photograph by Duccio Malagamba; 2nd, 3rd and 4th by Esteban Anía; down photograph by Andrés Ferrer.

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