BALENCIAGA ARTEAN – EDUARDO CHILLIDA FOR SALONE DEL MOBILE
From April 21st to 26th, 2026, coinciding with Milan’s Salone del Mobile week, a special art installation in Balenciaga’s Milan flagship on Via Montenapoleone marks the first Balenciaga project involving a major artist initiated by Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli.
The exhibition introduces an ongoing series entitled Artean—a word meaning, in the ancient, isolated Basque language, between. Serendipitously echoing Latinrooted words related to art, the term literally represents an interval, the space connecting multiple concepts.
For the first Balenciaga Artean, seven works by the celebrated Basque artist Eduardo Chillida (1924–2002)—some of which pay direct homage to founder of the House Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895–1972)—are presented among the store’s current collections, continuing a dialogue established decades ago.
“I have always believed that art is, above all, a generator of emotion—a vehicle for culture, certainly, but more importantly, a source of energy, thought, and curiosity,” says Piccioli.
“For the first edition of Balenciaga Artean, the decision to feature the work of Eduardo Chillida in our Montenapoleone boutique is deeply personal and sentimental, creating a space that brings together art and the House’s Basque heritage.
“Chillida’s work serves as a tangible memory of Cristóbal’s profound admiration for the artist, representing an open dialogue that has never ceased. I am both happy and proud to share a piece of this history, and I am extremely grateful to the Eduardo Chillida Estate for understanding and supporting our vision. I am certain that anyone who visits the exhibition will immediately sense how powerful and enduring this creative conversation remains.”
Chillida was first made aware of Balenciaga by his grandmother, Juana Eguren Jáuregui, a hotelier in San Sebastián—where the first Balenciaga store was established. However, it was not until the sculptor and the couturier had moved to Paris (both owing to Jáuregui’s encouragement) that they met in person.
By then, each had established himself as a luminary in his field. The two found they had much in common, from their Basque backgrounds to formal considerations, such as dimensional play between constructed volume and negative space. For Balenciaga, volume precedes the body; for Chillida, volume reveals space itself.
Among many odes to thinkers Chillida admired, several works are dedicated to the couturier. These include a large iron sculpture, Homenaje a Balenciaga [Homage to Balenciaga] (1990), a smaller study of which is now displayed at the store in Milan, alongside other works of iron: Proyecto Peine del Viento I [Project for Comb of the Wind I] (1966) and Lotura XVIII [Bond XVIII] (1991).
A prolific practice of sculpting with cut paper, ink, and string is represented in the store with Untitled (1957), Gravitación. Homenaje a Balenciaga [Gravitation.Homage to Balenciaga] (1987), Gravitación (1991), and another Gravitación (1991).
Producing this installation with the Eduardo Chillida Estate and the artist’s gallery Hauser & Wirth is personally meaningful for Piccioli, who has long admired the artist’s philosophy and works—exhibited in many of the world’s most renowned museums and parks.
Balenciaga Artean – Eduardo Chillida will be introduced at the Milan Flagship during an exclusive event with special guest Mikel Chillida, Eduardo Chillida’s grandson and director of Chillida-Leku, the open-air museum created by the artist himself, now dedicated to his legacy.
An opening, on April 21st, provides traditional Basque wine and treats by chef Magrí Alberto and an in-person presentation. Further information about each artwork in the exhibition is available in-store.
The exhibition introduces an ongoing series entitled Artean—a word meaning, in the ancient, isolated Basque language, between. Serendipitously echoing Latinrooted words related to art, the term literally represents an interval, the space connecting multiple concepts.
For the first Balenciaga Artean, seven works by the celebrated Basque artist Eduardo Chillida (1924–2002)—some of which pay direct homage to founder of the House Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895–1972)—are presented among the store’s current collections, continuing a dialogue established decades ago.
“I have always believed that art is, above all, a generator of emotion—a vehicle for culture, certainly, but more importantly, a source of energy, thought, and curiosity,” says Piccioli.
“For the first edition of Balenciaga Artean, the decision to feature the work of Eduardo Chillida in our Montenapoleone boutique is deeply personal and sentimental, creating a space that brings together art and the House’s Basque heritage.
“Chillida’s work serves as a tangible memory of Cristóbal’s profound admiration for the artist, representing an open dialogue that has never ceased. I am both happy and proud to share a piece of this history, and I am extremely grateful to the Eduardo Chillida Estate for understanding and supporting our vision. I am certain that anyone who visits the exhibition will immediately sense how powerful and enduring this creative conversation remains.”
Chillida was first made aware of Balenciaga by his grandmother, Juana Eguren Jáuregui, a hotelier in San Sebastián—where the first Balenciaga store was established. However, it was not until the sculptor and the couturier had moved to Paris (both owing to Jáuregui’s encouragement) that they met in person.
By then, each had established himself as a luminary in his field. The two found they had much in common, from their Basque backgrounds to formal considerations, such as dimensional play between constructed volume and negative space. For Balenciaga, volume precedes the body; for Chillida, volume reveals space itself.
Among many odes to thinkers Chillida admired, several works are dedicated to the couturier. These include a large iron sculpture, Homenaje a Balenciaga [Homage to Balenciaga] (1990), a smaller study of which is now displayed at the store in Milan, alongside other works of iron: Proyecto Peine del Viento I [Project for Comb of the Wind I] (1966) and Lotura XVIII [Bond XVIII] (1991).
A prolific practice of sculpting with cut paper, ink, and string is represented in the store with Untitled (1957), Gravitación. Homenaje a Balenciaga [Gravitation.Homage to Balenciaga] (1987), Gravitación (1991), and another Gravitación (1991).
Producing this installation with the Eduardo Chillida Estate and the artist’s gallery Hauser & Wirth is personally meaningful for Piccioli, who has long admired the artist’s philosophy and works—exhibited in many of the world’s most renowned museums and parks.
Balenciaga Artean – Eduardo Chillida will be introduced at the Milan Flagship during an exclusive event with special guest Mikel Chillida, Eduardo Chillida’s grandson and director of Chillida-Leku, the open-air museum created by the artist himself, now dedicated to his legacy.
An opening, on April 21st, provides traditional Basque wine and treats by chef Magrí Alberto and an in-person presentation. Further information about each artwork in the exhibition is available in-store.