Urban Fauna Resort: Art as a Refuge for Biodiversity

Chillida Leku, in collaboration with the Aranzadi Science Society, is launching Urban Fauna Resort, a call for proposals aimed at artists, architects, designers and anyone interested in urban biodiversity. The aim is to create refuges for small urban fauna (insects, arthropods, amphibians and reptiles) to be installed in green areas of Donostia-San Sebastián.

This project, under the framework of BiArteko Mugi and funded by Kutxa Fundazioa, promotes the connection between art, ecology, biodiversity and sustainable mobility.

The call for proposals was open until 31 July 2025 and awarded three grants of €2,000 for the design of the shelters, plus an additional €1,000 for their production.

The artistic interventions had to be designed to function as real shelters for small animals, following the philosophy of ‘insect hotels’, but extending their functionality to other small urban species, such as reptiles and amphibians.

Call resolution
Selected projects:

Ane Escribano and Iker de la Hoz, for the Biribilgune project, for its ability to be traversed and integrated into the landscape in a natural way, highlighting the use of the circle as a powerful symbol of direct connection with the earth. 

Nekane Azpiazu, for the Walls into porous boundaries project, for the design of a poetic refuge that invites dialogue between species and for the decision to seek reused materials to reinforce the commitment to sustainability and reduce environmental impact. 

Maider de la Fuente and María Zufiaur, for the Geltoki bizia project, for its versatility and for the creation of iconic and identifiable elements that function as a metaphor for the interaction between humans and the natural world and invite us to stop and observe the presence and movements of urban wildlife.