Stairs are probably one of the most common elements in our world. They are present in museums, streets, shopping centers and in all of those houses that have more than one floor. Stairs have also been the subject of numerous representations, from cinema to literature thanks to their essence of magic and symbolic power.

Stairs are the consequence of man's need for shelter, first in caves and then in houses. It is in this evolution where we see how stairs emerge with a variety of new meanings. An example of this is the famous staircase in the movie The Truman Show, where the main character ends his tale of lies by climbing the stairs to heaven, which will lead him to the truth.

Stairs are the consequence of man's need for shelter, first in caves and then in houses. It is in this evolution where we see how stairs emerge with a variety of new meanings.

The Baroque painter Rembrandt (1606, Leiden - 1669, Amsterdam) depicted in 1632 the work "Philosopher in Meditation", in which an old man meditates sitting in a corner. Rembrandt created an excellent composition in which the sunlight entering the room symbolizes the philosopher's consciousness, while the spiral staircase represents the path the philosopher must travel to reach enlightenment. Through this archetypal representation, a staircase symbolizing the path to spiritual enlightenment becomes a metaphor for the development of human knowledge.

the sunlight entering the room symbolizes the philosopher's consciousness, while the spiral staircase represents the path the philosopher must travel to reach enlightenment.

In contrast, the painter Caspar David Friedrich (1774, Greifswald - 1840, Dresden), with his romantic style, painted " Caroline on the Stairs (Woman ascending towards the light)", in which he depicted his wife climbing the stairs. This work is a masterpiece thanks to the mastery of light, which imbues the scene with a melancholic and suspended atmosphere. A masterpiece that represents a genre scene, in which the light takes all the protagonism, achieving a work of art of poetic nature full of hidden meanings.

Moving on to the historical avant-garde, Marcel Duchamp (1887, Blainville-Crevon - 1968, Neuilly-sur-Seine) painted in 1912 his work "Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2", in which the objective of capturing movement is translated into a piece of cubist and futurist inspiration. This work was a revolution in art, being one of the first representations of the aim of capturing movement. It gave rise to a dynamic composition in which planes of color are juxtaposed, achieving a break with the traditional beauty of the nude in art, eliminating carnality and overt sexuality. Instead, the painting broadens our perception of the human body as a moving element.

It gave rise to a dynamic composition in which planes of color are juxtaposed, achieving a break with the traditional beauty of the nude in art, eliminating carnality and overt sexuality.

The development of cities and architecture in the early twentieth century, along with the rise of street photography, left us with a large number of photographs that capture the essence of the new urban landscape. These images spoke of the relationship between the human body and these huge new structures. This type of photography was intimately linked to the city and its new composition of public space. We can see an example of this in Alexander Rodchenko's (1891, St. Petersburg - 1956, Moscow) "Sairs", created in 1930. In this photograph, the feeling of air and space is lost due to the setting, which captures only the stairs and a person from a high angle. Another representation of stairs in photography is Henri Cartier-Bresson's ( 1908, Chanteloup-en-Brie - 2004, Céreste) "Hyères", created in 1932. In this photograph, the attention is focused on the movement of a bicycle in the background thanks to the spiral staircase that guides our eyes towards it.

These images spoke of the relationship between the human body and these huge new structures. This type of photography was intimately linked to the city and its new composition of public space.

Moving on to Surrealism and symbolic representation, we can find the work "Un Mundo" ("One World") by the Spanish painter Ángeles Santos ( 1911, Portbou - 2013, Madrid ). In this painting, the artist, who at the time was only 18 years old, intended to represent a work in which the whole world was present. It is a large-scale work in which the stairs are used by souls that run and that later will be transformed into the stars we see. It is a personal interpretation of the world by a young artist, but this does not detract from the imaginative and powerful work, but rather reaffirms its expressive sense.

Following this surrealistic style, the work of M.C. Escher (1898, Leeuwarden - 1972, Hilversum) uses reality and mathematical compositions or visual games to create unreal and fantastic worlds full of mystery. An example of this is the work "House of Stairs", where different characters move in an undefined reality in which up and down appear blurred. Escher's images have been used in numerous television series and films, thanks to their powerful representation of illusion.

Jumping to the 70's, the Irish painter Francis Bacon (1909, Dublin - 1992, Madrid) created in 1972 "Portrait of a man descending stairs". In this work we observe, as usual in Bacon's work, how the expressiveness of the gesture and the distortion of the figure are intertwined in an undefined space. Even so, in this space, we find an element that stands out next to the figure: a ladder by which the character descends. However, like the figure, we find that the staircase is interpreted through the expressiveness and creative impulse of the author. Bacon, through his paintings, intended to resurrect and capture a lost part of reality through the radical recreation of images, believing that this would lead to a recovery of the consciousness of the artist.

Bacon, through his paintings, intended to resurrect and capture a lost part of reality through the radical recreation of images, believing that this would lead to a recovery of the consciousness of the artist.

Through new mediums of artistic expression, the Korean artist Do Ho Suh (1962, Seoul) created the installation "Staircase-III" at the Tate Modern in London in 2010. In this work, Do Ho Suh talks about spaces that are used to connect. With this, the artist wants to make visible the relationship that is created between different cultures, in how the staircase can be used as that connection between cultures. In other words, an artist who not only seeks new ways of understanding the exhibition space, but also delves into his memories to narrate spatial relationships and cultural connections.

One of the gallery's artists, Edgar Plans (1977, Madrid), presents the work "A mi monstruito le encantan los globos" ("My little monster loves balloons"). In this painting, Plans' signature Animal Heroes play in a graffiti-inspired world that hides deeper messages about sociopolitical issues, gender identity and the environment. Rope ladders connect the platforms, allowing characters to navigate this surreal but meaningful space. Plans is known for blending popular culture with deep themes about human relationships in his work.

Finally, artist Jason Ho (1993, UK) presented the work "Continuum", 2024, on the occasion of the latest exhibition at Villazan, "Walking along colorful paths". His works delve into the limits of dimensions and architectural forms, exploring the interactions of time, space, physical existence and alternate reality. In "Continuum" he creates liminal spaces and otherworldly domains that invite us to explore harmonious architectures. His works are like portals to the imagination, inviting the visitor to enter into contemplation, encouraging introspection and meditation.

In "Continuum" he creates liminal spaces and otherworldly domains that invite us to explore harmonious architectures. His works are like portals to the imagination, inviting the visitor to enter into contemplation, encouraging introspection and meditation.