News

The Curious Spanish Forest That Is an Open-Air Museum

Sponsors

When art and nature come together, it's hard to find anything more beautiful. During the 1960s and 1970s, the movement known as land art emerged in the United States, an artistic trend that blends genuine art with pure nature. In Spain, this expression arrived thanks to a Basque artist in 1982, who captured his vision and knowledge in one of the most curious forests in Spain.

Agustín Ibarrola has turned the Oma Forest into an open-air gallery where artists can reflect their ideas in astonishing ways. Using the trunks of countless pine trees as canvases, this forest has become one of the best-kept secrets of Kortezubi, in Biscay. Today, it stands as a place to discover one of the most unique artistic ensembles in Spain, full of nuances and vibrant colors.

The history of the Oma Forest begins in 1982, when Agustín Ibarrola started painting the pine trees near his farmhouse. From that moment, this Basque artist began playing with perspectives, lights, and shadows provided by the natural surroundings, giving rise to an unparalleled artistic expression composed of human figures, curves, straight lines, and circles of intense colors. However, he was not alone, as for much of the project, he was accompanied by two students from the Faculty of Fine Arts at UPV/EHU.

This great work was open to the public until 2018, when the forest's biological cycle ended, and its condition was severely affected by 'brown band' disease. This led to the fall of several trees and its closure for safety reasons. Nevertheless, over those years, the forest had gained significant importance, so the Provincial Council of Biscay acquired it for preservation and care. Faced with this situation, the administration decided to relocate the artwork to another part of the forest, also recovering numerous lost pieces due to falls, logging, or attacks.

Thus, another area of the forest with the same characteristics as the original was sought, and in 2022, the selection of these spaces to host the different artistic ensembles began. During this time, nearly half of them were also painted, staying true to Ibarrola's original work. Finally, the following year, the project was completed with a total of 34 ensembles and over 800 trees. Today, visitors can explore each of these ensembles with an expert guide or freely.

A Play of Perceptions

One of the aspects that make the Oma Forest unique is the opportunity to play with perspectives. With every step, the artwork transforms thanks to depth and color interplay, allowing for free interpretation at every moment. Along the route, visitors can admire 34 artistic ensembles, with highlights such as Naiel's Rainbow and The Eyes. It's worth noting that this activity is free, but prior reservation is required, and the access point is at the Santimamiñe Caves.

The walk from the caves to the forest is about three kilometers, but once there, in just one and a half kilometers, travelers can discover all the ensembles. This makes it a perfect activity for families and friends to enjoy a pleasant day out. However, guided tours are limited to a maximum of 25 people, with general admission priced at 10 euros per person. There is also a reduced fee of 5 euros for those aged 18 to 26, pensioners, unemployed individuals, and other eligible groups.

How to Get There

From Bilbao, the journey takes about 45 minutes via the BI-635. From San Sebastián, the estimated travel time is 1 hour and 15 minutes via the AP-8 highway (toll roads apply).

Source:Infobae