Okendo and Aiete to host the Stéphane Levallois exhibition “Hellboy – Goya”

2024.07.22

The San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Festival presents the exhibition Goya – Hellboy: An iconography of monsters by Stéphane Levallois. An exhibition by Afundación – Obra Social ABANCA, curated by Asier Mensuro, to be shown at two separate venues, Okendo Kultur Etxea and Aiete Kultur Etxea, between 19 September and 3 November.

The noted French artist here reflects on the fantastical iconography created by Goya, contributing his own vision of monstrosity. But between the monsters of the 19th century and those that Levallois develops for Hollywood films in the 21st century there is a gap of a hundred years. To bridge that distance and show the depth of the imprint left on later art by the Fuendetodos-born painter, the exhibition also features Mike Mignola, creator of the famous comic book figure Hellboy: a creature from the inferno with a distinctly Goyaesque spirit. Aside from allowing Stéphane Levallois to work with his creation, incorporating it into some of the most distinctive works by Goya, Mignola also contributes two Goyaesque illustrations to the exhibition: the cover of the Hellboy adventure In the Chapel of Moloch, and an illustration of the character as a tribute to the canvas Atropos or The Fates.

Levallois casts light on the world of Goya through a total of 99 works and an audiovisual presentation, standing face-to-face with the black paintings of the Aragonese genius belonging to the Prado Museum, along with the Witches' Sabbaths featured in the oil paintings held at the Lázaro Galdiano Museum.

The great 21st-century creator of Hollywood movie monsters and author of such famous comics as Leonard2Vinci for the Louvre and Les Disparues d’Orsay for the Musée D’Orsay, once again considers the history of painting in this project, reflecting on one of Spain's most noted artists, and unquestionably one of the favourites among lovers of horror and fantasy.