
2020
ITSASARGI & KIMA /- INSTALLATIONS
Bitamine Faktoria designs and directs a specific artistic project for the Christmas market. A team effort and in collaboration with a score of artists to attract attention and focus on the local creative community in a turbulent and complicated year for the sector. The market is an activity promoted by the City and Economy Impulse Area of the Irun City Council.
ITSASARGI ✨
Itsasargi catches our attention and invites us to look from another perspective, to be more aware of what surrounds us. This visual metaphor enlightens us and makes us imagine the good that is to come.
- Occupy space, the void that fills the air in its immensity. The accumulation of forms illuminates the dimension of what surrounds us. *
- A visual metaphor that invites us to stop and observe around us what we are not aware of. *
- Moments that pass so slowly that they push us to contemplate. *
Keeping hands of the lighthouse: Judas Arrieta, Iñaki Oyarzabal and Bitamine Faktoria
Lighting: Jose Zapiain
/
KIMA 🌿
Art has sprung up in the Ensanche square, within the Christmas Market. Thanks to the contribution of all the participating artists and creators, artistic creation has been visualized in an attractive and metaphorical way.
Native sprouts:
AG Calligraphy - Ainhoa Gordo, Ane Borreguero Oliden, asiertxosololaama !!!, Cristina Juaniz, Goizeko Izarra, Hache - Sarah Grandes, Haritzetan Atelier, Iciar Sánchez Parra, Iratxe Aires, Iratxe Colado, Itsaso Labari, Itziar Basterretxea Seijo, Javier Paule, Julia Lasa, Juncal Alfonso Aguilar, Loidi Miriam, Lorena Martínez Oronoz, Maialen Arocena, Mr Woodman, Patri Taberna Solbes, Patricia Gómez Rojo Inwoko, Restta estudio - Raquel Garcia, Von Jauregi, Xabi Amunarriz Rodriguez
- We often think that art and culture are constantly springing up, we believe that they are an endless spring. But like our trees, we must take care of the culture and the artists, so that they continue to grow. *
- This year the tips of the branches look different in the trees in the square. Their art flows, and they protect us like a lush forest on a rainy day. *
Galería
PARTICIPANTS OF THE COMMUNITY

MORE PROJECTS
KULTURBOX
The way of consuming culture has changed considerably in recent times. In addition to existing trends towards digitalisation, there has been the impact of the coronavirus, which has had a very negative impact on the development of in-person cultural activity, but which has allowed the development of new ways of consuming art and culture, online and choosing the content that most interests us, to enjoy it when, where and how we want.
This change of parameters logically affects everything to do with artistic creation, art consumption and the dissemination of cultural heritage. Moreover, we must remember the importance of the heritage value chain and its six interconnected steps: identification, documentation, valuation, conservation, dissemination and reflection.
Combining both concepts, the new modes of artistic-cultural consumption and the importance of the heritage value chain, this project is focused on the dissemination of art and heritage combined with a careful aesthetic from the keys of design and contemporary art. This is how KulturBox was born, a series of artistic boxes to approach culture in an accessible, inclusive and comfortable way, offering a new quality format that incorporates playfulness and allows you to enjoy culture à la carte.
KulturBox is designed for anyone who shows an interest in culture and art, regardless of their education or knowledge of it. Restless people, concerned about the knowledge of their environment and who are sensitive to the heritage that surrounds them, eager to know and learn, but also to look for quality leisure activities.
The KulturBox project is promoted in a co-creation format with María José Noain Maura, from Los Viajes de Aspasia.
RESEARCH
Artistic residencies / New approaches
The initiative to review the programmes of aid for creation organised by Bitamine Faktoria over the last 10 years arose shortly after the period of pandemics, confinements and limitations on many of the freedoms we had enjoyed until then.
It is true that the new present had changed as a consequence of the events. The economy had been affected, many families had lost loved ones, the routine and changing restrictions we faced on a daily basis made us feel lost and hopeless. But also, people had changed. Many of us have taken advantage of this hiatus to slow down, reflect, analyse, blame ourselves, accept that sometimes we lose and even take away burdensome duties. To question our objectives and look for answers.
Continuing with the model we had proposed until then in our structure was irresponsible. And the answers would not appear on their own, they had to be sought.
Within this framework, a long task was planned, with concrete phases, articulated with each other and consecutive in time.
A research project was launched in November 2021 to find out the state of the artistic and cultural sector in the Basque Country, and it was carried out throughout 2022.
Many people have been involved in the work process, which has been an invaluable source of knowledge, and it is thanks to all of them that we can now share these results, which I sincerely hope will be useful and fruitful for the sector.
The full report with the results of the research can be downloaded at www.bitamine.net, Projects section.
CBA CREATION SPACE - FIELDWORK
In 2021, as a result of an extension planned for the CBA cultural centre, Irun City Council’s culture department will begin to reflect on a part of this extension that will be used as a creative space.
We are currently reflecting on the conception of the content in general terms, the specific uses, the aims pursued and the spatial needs that must be taken into account in order to design a space that fits into the local context.
The aim is to house the strategic cultural projects already underway promoted by the area of culture, but on the other hand, to ensure that they coexist with and receive feedback from other public and private cultural agents in the city, as well as from the rest of the spaces and proposals of the centre itself.
Based on this challenge, fieldwork was proposed, consisting of three sessions held with the team from the culture and youth area on the three main issues to work on when planning and sizing the usefulness of a space for the creation and dissemination of local artistic culture.
Each session focused on a specific aspect:
-discursive line
-Analysis of the national and international context.
-local-spatial projection.
At the end of the fieldwork, a report was drafted focusing on the social and cultural aspect of the site in line with its usefulness and habitability.