Urrugne: the artist "Mima" brings his steel sculptures into dialogue with the centuries-old stone of Urtubie Castle

Urtubie Castle is hosting a contemporary exhibition in its gardens for the first time. Artist Christine de Buhan, aka "Mima," a trained architect who later became a sculptor, displays her steel creations, which interact with the estate's centuries-old stone and the surrounding nature.

For several weeks now, the gardens of the Château d'Urtubie in Urrugne have been transformed into an open-air gallery. Mima , a "young" artist at 65, a trained architect who became a sculptor barely a year and a half ago, has displayed her steel creations in an exhibition entitled "Micrometallica" . These works interact with the centuries-old stones of the estate and invite visitors to rediscover Urtubie from an unexpected perspective.

For several years, the Coral family, owners of the château, had been entertaining the idea of hosting a contemporary exhibition in their gardens. Odile de Coral herself confides that this project had been dormant for twenty years. And the experience, now a reality, is nothing to be regretted: "We had seen it in other châteaux. Discovering the result at home, we can only be delighted. This contrast of eras truly highlights Urtubie."

Especially since the artist in question is a family friend. Christine de Buhan, or Mima, has scattered her sculptures throughout the gardens, offering an unexpected and surprising journey. During a private visit granted to "Sud Ouest," the artist guided us step by step through her world, revealing for each piece the idea and the emotion that shaped it.

Thirty-one works punctuate the entire estate, outdoors, with the exception of one, installed in the castle's dungeons. Through this encounter, Mima retraced a singular career, whose path to art emerged late in life, like something that had long remained dormant.

An architect by trade, Christine de Buhan has long practiced in the Paris region, where her offices are located in Versailles. Specializing in the design of industrial buildings, schools, and offices, she has also designed residential projects, including several in the Basque Country. She notably designed the Chappe Tower in Ciboure , a building she owns with her husband.

"I always wanted to rediscover the manual work I loved so much by making models in wood, Plexiglas, or cardboard... to later approach steel through my sculptures," says the artist. Her approach is inspired by great bronze sculptors, while relying on contemporary techniques and tools that she masters with confidence.

I always wanted to rediscover the manual work that I loved so much by making models, in wood, plexiglass or cardboard... to, later, approach steel through my sculptures.

In her creative process, Mima begins by designing a model before resorting to technology. "Instead of making a physical mold, I create a digital mold: I scan my model and transform it into a 3D plan." Unlike bronze sculptors who entrust their work to a foundry, she sends her execution plans directly to the laser cutter, for a result with millimeter precision.

She then works with different steel finishes: raw, Corten, lacquered, stainless steel, etc., before reaching the final stage: assembly. Mima does not weld. Her pieces, cut to exact size, fit together with precision calculated to the millimeter. A method she compares to "modular origami."

To date, twelve models have been created, each available in different steel finishes and several sizes. Some pieces are deliberately limited to eight copies, following the "law of series," as is customary in art. "The definition of a work is precisely that it is not industrial, but small series. And then, if you have buyers, they don't want to find the same sculpture elsewhere."

The definition of a work is precisely that it is not industrial, but small series. Buyers do not want to find the same sculpture elsewhere.

The artist points out, however, that the various variations of the models are generally sufficient to avoid this risk of repetition. But a collector recently removed all ambiguity by acquiring the exclusivity of "Cache-cache," a piece that is now unique in one of its sizes and unavailable for sale.

In the Urtubie gardens , the twelve pieces designed by "Mima" are therefore varied in their colors, their steel finishes and their dimensions. Among them, "Opera", whose lines recall the Sydney Opera House , but also "Tango", "Memorial" and "Fossil". Names that came spontaneously, during the creative process: "I don't have a premeditated idea when I start a sculpture. The names always come to me during the creation."

At Urtubie Castle, these sculptures now blend into the landscape, interacting with the ancient stones and the park's paths, giving the place an even more picturesque charm. The exhibition remains on display until September 12.