This blog post is about my experience on the second free weekend in San Sebastián. More specifically, it will focus on the cities of Bilbao and Pamplona which are great focal points for a greater analysis on Spanish culture as a whole. 

Bilbao was the first city my friend and I visited. Bilbao is known for being an industrial city and the largest population center in the Basque Country. The city has a beautiful football stadium, modern high rise buildings, and a surprisingly punctual tram system. Beside the stadium, the other major attraction in the city is the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao which houses modern and contemporary art. My time in Bilbao largely hinged on this museum. The museum is sleek, modern, and distinctive. Outside is a large dog made of flowers affectionately called “Puppy”. The other landmark outside is a giant steel spider called “Maman”. These sculptures are on every souvenir magnet in Bilbao, so they are considered essential parts of the city. The interior features art that is unquestionably… abstract. It seemed the more I looked at each painting, the more puzzled I became at its message. I noticed random brushwork, paint splotches, and non-geometrical shapes. Upon some further thought, I came to the conclusion that there is no singular message. That is what I see in Postmodern Art, it means something else to each person who views the artpiece. Postmodern art at its core embraces a sense of curiosity and discussion. I see it as an embrace of pluralism, diversity, and identity. 

The following day I visited Pamplona. Pamplona is a city in the interior of Spain, and the capital of Navarre. The city has deep roots in relation to bullfighting. Every July, the Festivities of San Fermin commence which includes the Running of the Bulls. The path the bulls take ends in the Plaza de Toros, which is a bullfighting arena near the center of the city. The arena, which seats around 20,000 people, is where the matador fights and kills the bull. The matador is the highest ranked bullfighter who usually faces the bull individually at the last stage of the bullfight. They wear a richly embroidered suit called the “Traje de Luces”. They also have a “Capote” which is a medium sized cape and a “Muleta” which is a smaller cape that is used when killing the bull. Bullfighting is a controversial practice that has a long history in Iberia going back hundreds of years. Even with significant controversy, it remains deeply entrenched in Spanish culture to this day and remains a polarizing topic in Spanish politics. As an outsider, I have several moral objections about this practice. I sympathize with the bull because it is subjected to pain and suffering throughout the whole experience. Furthermore, being an animal, it does not understand what is going on, likely making the situation even more traumatic for it. I don’t think bullfighting should be glorified in any way, especially given the bloody nature of the event. Many people in Spain seem to echo that stance. When I asked the lady at the ticket booth on her opinion about the bullfight and the culture, she responded that she was deeply conflicted about the event. Studies show that support for bullfighting in Spain is lower than ever with only 7% of younger adults supporting the practice, and it will likely continue lowering in the future. Unfortunately, in 2013, the event became a cultural heritage of Spain, and thus, became enshrined into Spanish law. Unfortunately, that will limit any attempt to completely ban the practice in the near future. 

I couldn’t help but notice a conflict in Spain between its past and its future. These two cities (Bilbao and Pamplona) reflect two greater clashes in Spanish culture between the old and the new. The museum of Modern Art is exemplary of progressive ideas and policy in Spain. Its non-linear architecture is meant to challenge the status quo. Its abstract paintings are meant to challenge the conventional norms of art. It’s truly remarkable that Spain in many ways is leading Europe when it comes to green energy, climate friendly policies, and urban infrastructure. However, it is also held back by the Catholic Church and sexism, which remains a persistent problem in Spanish culture. Bullfighting as a whole is deeply intertwined with machismo culture, a deeply conservative cultural tradition of extreme male masculinity. Even today, gender based violence remains high in Spain and is a deeply troubling problem, especially in more rural localities where there is higher isolation from infrastructure such as police and social workers. Spain is a country of contrasts. As a tourist, it feels unrivaled when you account for its gastronomy, nature, rich cities, and friendly people. But even in the most idyllic places, there are issues that may not necessarily be visible on the surface. I think that giving some nuance will help better contextualize Spain’s society and culture as a whole.