Last night, the Art Modern Institute of Valencia, IVAM, unveiled its newest exhibition, ‘An Indefinitely Smooth Common Continuum – Projections on the Contemporary’, curated by Diana Guijarro, and featuring work by a variety of artists.
The exhibition celebrated its inauguration last night, on the 16th May and will remain open to the public at the IVAM centre Julio González until the 20th of October this year. The exhibition looks to present various works of art and allow the spectator to draw their own conclusions about what contemporaneity means to them. It acts as a tool, giving the spectator the opportunity to conjure up readings that may be different to someone else’s, but that are equally valid. The exhibition ultimately poses the question “what is contemporary art?”, posing questions, but leaving open-answers, with interpretation up to the spectator.
Diana Guijarro, curator of the exhibition is a teacher and independent curator, whose research focuses on the study of exhibition spaces and the different museographic elements with different discourses.
A range of different mediums and art forms are displayed throughout ‘An Indefinitely Smooth Common Continuum’, including photographs, sculptures, artefacts, paintings, writings and installations, that reflect on not just one, but various themes. The works presented are a selection of pieces, including the ‘Vieillard assis’, 1952 by Pablo Picasso, ‘Farbtafein’, 1971 by Gerhard Richter, and a ‘Corinthian helmet, with wild boar engravings,’ s.f, Anonymous.
The works vary between more theatrical, light-hearted installations, tucked behind curtains, with blaring televisions, to more politically-focused displays. One of which at the end of the exhibition shows 22 loudspeakers stacked upon one another, playing speeches by different politicians throughout the 20th century, such as Malcom X, Hitler and Fidel Castro.
Made up of 4 rooms, the exhibition takes the spectator on a journey through each different section, as each further layer is revealed. The first room features curtained areas, asking the spectator to step into a private area to view the works. Following through into the second room, entitled ‘Contradiction as principle’, spectators are met with a brightly lit, white display table of exhibition texts, sculptural pieces, and artists’ books. The third room takes spectators back into the darkness, as televisions are hidden behind black curtains. Spectators emerge into the final room, “Epilogue”, a bright, yellow and green painted room, featuring larger paintings and photography.
This exhibition is part of the celebration of ‘International Museum Day’, taking place this weekend on Saturday 18th of May, with the slogan ‘Museums for education and research’. Check out the exhibition! More information can be found on the IVAM website linked below.
Report by Jenny Grierson
Article Copyright of 24/7 Valencia
IVAM photos copyright Jenny Grierson/ 24/7 Valencia
IVAM Centre Julio González
C/ de Guillem de Castro, 118
Ciutat Vella
46003
València
Tel: 963 17 66 00
Website: https://ivam.es
Leave a comment