Novecentismo y Vanguardia (1910-1936) Exhibition - Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao
Video preview (in Spanish)
El Mundo multimedia presentation
Komikineska
If by some unimaginable misfortune you can't make it to the TAC Film Festival in May, but by a fortuitous turn of events, find that you can get to Bilbao over the next month, there's an exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts that should be essential viewing for anyone interested in gaining an insight into Basque art and the artists who created it around the beginning of the 20th century.
The exhibition itself comprises a selection of art, mainly in guise of paintings, drawings and posters, which between them illustrate the diversity of talent and themes that bound together both the artists and the work the created, set against the backdrop of a fast-changing world, that elsewhere in Europe manifested itself in the body-strewn mud-and-bloodscapes of the 1914-1918 Great War, a devestating flu epidemic that killed millions in 1919, the Great Depression in the US. Events in Spain included the final days of monarchy, which was followed by the brief interlude of democracy, itself eclipsed by the menacing shadow of Franco and his fascist friends who were to dictate the land for 40 years thereafter, an oppression that was keenly felt by the Basque population.
And of course, while the political scene was running amok, the wheels of industry turned ever faster, fuelled by fossil deposits and propelled by a human work force, that was for most part, obliged to endure long hours of back-breaking labour for a pittance of a wage, which in many cases allowed for physical survival, shelter and sustenance, but little else. A lucky few laughed all the way to their deposit accounts, filling them with money as fast as resources could be extracted from the ground and shipped to the foundries of all and sundry, to the extent that when WWII rolled around, both the Allies and Axis powers were keen buyers of raw materials sailing from the ports of the Basque Country, and Bilbao in particular.
And running more or less quietly in the background to all this were various art movements, which between them not only interpreted how the human condition was affected, but by default documented many of the people, places and preoccupations of those who observed this technological progress and social change that were inextricably chained together.
From this, various new art movements began to take shape, and thus it was that the Basque Country of modern-day northern Spain witnessed what has become known as Novecentismo, which is described in the exhibition brochure along the following lines...
In the opening decades of the 20th century, we are told that 'the idea of the modern' began to take hold, giving rise to Novecentismo and the avant-garde, which themselves were following on from the schools of Impressionism and Symbolism. We are further told that Novecentismo was founded on the tradition of classic considerations, which eschewed expressionist or subjective interpretation, particularly manifesting itself in the restraint of garish colour.
Aurelio Arteta was a contemporary artist who is said to have embodied this ideal, and his contribution is described in these terms...
"Arteta's work from this time (was) rich in colour, energetic drawing and the noble, upstanding presence of models in a delicately lyrical atmosphere, (and) provides us with some fine examples of this early Novecentismo moment."
The exhibition itself is described as coming in the wake of the 2008 exhibitions, and Basque ArtistsFrom Goya to Gaugin, while the paintings, photographs and posters, shown in chronological order, are intended to inform our knowledge and understanding of this specific era of art.
On exhibit are no less than 149 works, including two never before seen in public, namely Noches de Artistas en Ibaigane (1927) by Antonio de Guezala, and La Lechera al Sol (1930) by Carlos Ribera. both of which have recently been acquired by the museum
Amongst the many artists on show are Felipe Manterola, Celso Lagar, Antonio de Guezala, Joaquín Torres García, Aurelio Arteta, Joaquim Sunyer, José María de Ucelay and Daniel Vázquez Díaz.
If you get the chance to catch this in the final month, I'd recommend you do so, as the exhibition aptly demonstrates the energy and skill of a diverse group of artists who might not be well known in the wider world of modern art, but nevertheless offer us a unique insight into not only an important development in the history of modern art, but also afford us a glimpse into a world that even after this short time, has long since vanished.
One final piece of advice is that on Wednesday, the museum is free to access all day, affording visitors the opportunity to view both temporary and permanent exhibitions at their leisure - leaving you with some spare cash to spend in the well-stocked gift shop or airy cafeteria next door. For details of opening hours, prices and accessibility, just head over to the Museo website, select your language option, and plan your visit - it's situated in central Bilbao, in the leafy surrounds of a park called Parque Iturriza Doña Casilda, just off the Gran Via, the nearest metro being Moyua.
Should you wish to take a sneak preview online, you can hit this link: Museo Virtual Tour
image :: 'El puente de Burceña' (1925 - 1930), de Aurelio Arteta, (source El Mundo)
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