This exhibition presents a selection of works that unsettle our understanding of reality . Hopefully , this will set in motion dialogues capable of revealing the structures that condition our way of seeing things , questioning collective perceptions . The experience is thus intended to offer perspectives around the notion of living together that extend beyond borders , thereby expanding our notion of community and learning . |
We all learn to see the world in the same way , despite the gulfs that separate different schools of thought and individual pathways . The educational processes we collectively undergo show a lot more similarities than differences . Hence , thinking about educational methods not only reminds us of the fundamental role of education in determining how we interpret reality , but it also redefines a work of art as a key element in construing our universe . |
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The three themes around which the exhibition is centred ( Ways of Understanding History , Educational Processes , Belief and the Present ) do not constitute different perspectives , but complementary paths , helping us expand our understanding of commonplace topics , which in turn guides our way of looking at history . In this sense , educational processes and the way in which beliefs interact with the present acquire a wider dimension when thinking about the Collegium ’ s collection and the institution that is beginning to evolve from it .
This exhibition in the church of San Martín encourages new interpretations of the works included , since — breaking away from the White Cube concept and its aspiration of modern neutrality — they instantly relate to the old church housing the exhibition , as well as to its representation in cultural history , thus underlining the educational role of the old Jesuit school that stands only a short distance away from the exhibition .
The cornerstone of the exhibition is the part called Ways of understanding history , which joins artists from very different contexts and shows us that different parts of history can and need to be re-examined from other perspectives , questioning the processes underlying the official narratives .
The part entitled Educational processes – though very much present in all the works – is more clearly discernible in the output of certain artists who place the pedagogic aspect at the centre of their creations .
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Another juncture we had to cross in developing this exhibition was how to address the notorious mix between Belief and the present : indeed , after centuries of striving to create secular states , today we witness movements in the opposite direction . Recent years have seen religious premises playing an increasingly important role in seeking to implement their ways of managing resources and human life . As things stand , there is an ever-increasing number of societies run by political representatives who lean on religious notions to formulate principles which apply to all their citizens unconditionally . This has resulted in legislation and religion becoming merged again in various cases , thus recovering the order of power that we seemed to have left behind following the advent of the Enlightenment and democracy . Consequently , confronting these patterns of thinking becomes a mission in the face of the rise of obscurantism and religious fundamentalism . Artistic production , which for centuries was conditioned by otherworldly narratives , can also form an integral part of countermovements that are committed to liberation .
The mission concerning us as an institution is to open a dialogue between Collegium ’ s own collection and other works of art , so as to sharpen our senses and equip us to break up the existing hegemony . This will allow us to view our world from a fresh perspective .
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Petrit Halilaj , Abetare ( car ), 2015 Steel sculpture . Reproduction of a drawing found on the tables of the elementary school ' Shote Galica ', Runik , Kosovo . 170 × 450 cm . Courtesy of the artist and Collegium / Adrastus Collection
Odires Mlászho , Encyclopaedia Britannica from the series Livros Esqueletos , 2014 Encyclopædia Britannica for childred cropped book covers ( red ). 30 × 120 cm . Courtesy of the artist and Collegium / Adrastus Collection
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Gonzalo Lebrija , Disparo ( Shot ), 2010 Paint and shotgun . Variable dimensions . Courtesy of the artist and Collegium / Adrastus Collection |
Rubén Torres Llorca , Make me a mask , No date Installation . Variable dimensions . Courtesy of the artist and Collegium / Adrastus Collection
Tim Berresheim , Future Gipsy Antifolklore IV and Future Gipsy Antifolklore VIII , 2010 Diasec . 120 × 90 cm . Courtesy of the artist and Collegium / Adrastus Collection
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