Ukitu, published on the occasion of a dual exhibition at Kutxa Fundazioa and Tabakalera in San Sebastian, brings together a selection of the most recent works by Maider López (San Sebastián, 1975), one of the most established and recognised artists on the contemporary Basque art scene.
Maider López’s projects draw on the everyday —small gestures and ordinary situations which, when amplified, have the power to disrupt what seemed fixed, opening up new possibilities for connection with others and with the environment. This attention to the minor also implies a reflection on time: many of her works invite us to pause, to become aware, to experience, and to generate memories that endure in both individual and collective consciousness, beyond the fleeting moment of action.
At a time when the notion of the collective should be seen as a necessity, the social dimension of her practice acquires particular relevance. Her work activates participatory dynamics that invite us to think about and inhabit the collective through artistic practice.
The title, Ukitu [Touching], refers to the artist’s ability to unsettle and transform the contexts in which she works, as well as to the centrality of the sense of touch in some of her recent projects. It also evokes the affective dimension of art —how we touch and allow ourselves to be touched.
The book includes the essay “Touching and Disrupting” by exhibition curator Aimar Arriola, and a conversation between Maider López and Hans Ulrich Obrist, where they delve into topics such as the creation of temporary collectivities, the public space, and art’s capacity to generate systems of relation and transformation.
Maider López (San Sebastián, 1975) develops her work through interventions in public space and architecture. Her projects often require the participation of the viewer, who becomes part of a subtly altered environment. Her work has been widely exhibited both nationally and internationally, including at the Venice Biennale (2005), the Sharjah Biennial (2009), and the Istanbul Biennial (2013).
Among her solo exhibitions, projects and actions are: Tocar el Museu, Museu d’Art Modern, Tarragona (2024); Arnasa, Museo de Bellas Artes, Bilbao (2022); Art is happening, Statens Konstråd, Sweden (2019); 1645 Tizas, Matadero Madrid (2016); Desplazamiento, Koldo Mitxelena, San Sebastián, and MARCO, Vigo (2015); Mountain, Lower Austria Contemporary (2013); Polder Cup, Skor and Witte de With, Netherlands (2010); Éclats, Centre Pompidou-Metz (2010); Towada Art Center, Japan (2010); Line of Sight, Zendai Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai (2008); AdosAdos, Guggenheim Bilbao (2007); and Columnes, CaixaForum, Barcelona (2006).
She has also participated in numerous group exhibitions, including L’Invention du quotidien, CAPC Musée d’Art Contemporain, Bordeaux (2025); Changing Skies, Cappadox, Uçhisar, Turkey (2024); Hummings, KØS Museum of Art in Public Spaces, Denmark (2021); Prospect 4. Contemporary Art Triennial, New Orleans (2017); Play Time, Les Ateliers de Rennes, 4th Biennale d’Art Contemporain, Rennes, France (2014); Mom, I am Barbarian?, 13th Istanbul Biennial (2013); Sharjah Biennial 9, United Arab Emirates (2009); SCAPE Christchurch Biennial of Art in Public Space, New Zealand (2008); and 51st Venice Biennale (2005).
ISBN 978-84-09-76411-2
Dalpine, 2025
Text: Aimar Arriola
Design: Joaquín Gáñez
Pre-press and printing: Artes Gráficas Palermo
Hardcover
17x23 cm
335 pages
288 photographs
Language: Basque, Spanish & English
Includes a conversation between Maider López and Hans Ulrich Obrist
