Cristina Iglesias

INNER LANDSCAPE

Museum of Fine Arts Houston, US

Inner Landscape (the Lithosphere, the Roots, the Water) (2020) is a large-scale sculptural pool commission by Cristina Iglesias, installed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Measuring approximately 1.10 × 15 × 10.60 m, the work comprises a bronze bas-relief formation of roots and rock, integrated with hydraulic mechanisms that rhythmically fill and drain a shallow pool—evoking tidal movements and subterranean springs . Positioned outside the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building, the installation transforms the plaza into a meditative portal connecting viewers with Earth’s hidden strata.

Executed with high-precision bronze casting, hydraulic engineering, and site-responsive installation, the piece highlights the organic topography of root structures as if sculpted by ancient oaks. Water movement introduces ephemeral reflections and soft soundscapes, creating a sensory environment that blurs boundaries between nature, architecture, and memory.

Cristina Iglesias (San Sebastián, 1956) is celebrated for immersive installations that weave together bronze, water, stone, and industrial materials to evoke subterranean landscapes. Inner Landscape continues her exploration of geological memory and site-specificity, functioning as both art and contemplative landmark for the museum and its urban context.