Asier Mendizabal

MATRIZ, MATRIZ

Carreras Mugica, Bilbao, Spain

MATRIZ, MATRIZ by Basque sculptor Asier Mendizabal is a striking installation at Carreras Mugica, Bilbao. Comprising hollow, cylindrical and sheet‑like forms in mirror‑polished stainless steel, each unit measures approximately 100 × 45 × 42.5 cm or 100 × 45 × 22 cm, depending on the variant . Crafted with meticulous precision cutting and welding, the pieces demonstrate advanced expertise in metal fabrication and reflective surface treatments.

The polished finish enhances spatial interaction: surfaces mirror the gallery and viewer, while the forms suggest architectural remnants or cultural relics. Mendizabal’s use of stainless steel underscores his interest in modularity and structural repetition, exploring ideas of fragmentation, context, scale, and industrial aesthetics. Through these mirrored sculptures, the artist investigates the interplay between presence and absence, solidity and transparency, inviting the observer into an immersive dialogue.

Born in Ordizia (Gipuzkoa, 1973), Mendizabal was trained in Fine Arts at the University of the Basque Country and holds an advanced diploma from the Byam Shaw School of Art in London. His long-standing practice engages sculptural constructivism and popular iconographies, deploying repetition, mirrored surfaces, and found forms to question architectural and social frameworks