Photo: Saul Steinberg with face in his hand © Estate of Evelyn Hofer
An artist mostly known for his drawings published on the covers and interiors of The New Yorker, Saul Steinberg (Râmnicu Sărat, Rumania, 1914 – New York, 1999) —’a writer who draws’, as he defined himself – created a unique visual language that he simultaneously developed in several disciplines. His oeuvre, combining sophisticated humour, playful exploration and thoughtful critique, is a legacy as exuberant as it is multifaceted.
All of the artist’s many facets will be present in ‘Saul Steinberg, el signo errante’ (Saul Steinberg, the wandering line), an exhibition that retraces the artist’s life and work through approximately 100 works, including drawings, paintings, engravings, collages, magazines, books, photographs, audiovisual works, and three-dimensional works. Co-produced by Ja! Festival and the Fundación Juan March, with the support of The Saul Steinberg Foundation and the sponsorship of Iberdrola, the exhibition can be visited free of charge throughout October in the Sala Axular of the Bizkaia Aretoa-EHU.
This exhibition stems from ‘Saul Steinberg, artista‘, the largest retrospective devoted to the artist to date, organised by the Fundación Juan March at its Madrid headquarters between October 2024 and January 2025. Thanks to a major donation from The Saul Steinberg Foundation, the Fundación Juan March currently has an extensive collection of the artist’s work, including all the works that will form part of this exhibition, some of which will be on display to the public for the first time. Following the exhibition in Bilbao, the Fundación Juan March will present a monographic exhibition on Saul Steinberg at its museums in Cuenca and Palma, featuring works from its own collection.
The wandering nature of this exhibition aligns with the artist’s temperament. The transition between different artistic and literary genres is essential in Steinberg’s work, reflecting his life, time, and personality. The title of the exhibition, ‘Saul Steinberg, el signo errante’, referring to this distinctive feature, comes from the essay bearing the same name by Alicia Chillida, guest curator of the exhibition ‘Saul Steinberg, artista’ at the Fundación Juan March in Madrid.
The exhibition will be rounded off with various photographs, most particularly those of Leo Lionni and Evelyn Hofer, who interpreted Steinberg’s persona and the period in which he lived through their portraits of the artist. ‘Saul Steinberg, el signo errante’ is an opportunity to discover the fascinating iconography of an artist who is both thought-provoking and enjoyable in equal measure.