Latent Modernity, an exhibition outside traditional art 📷 Malaga - Spain

Many times art marks stages and especially historical stages, some of them postponed.

An art exhibition that I was looking forward to seeing, but for one reason or another I left almost at the end of it.

At the Museo Carmen Thyssen, every three months, the temporary art exhibition is changed and on this occasion I waited until the end as it was summer and the weather was better in the last few days.

There had been a lot of publicity in the city about this exhibition, especially on posters all along the promenade in the city park. Everywhere they were pointing out this art exhibition.

At the entrance they always post what the permanent exhibition is and in this case it was very eye-catching. When you enter you can enjoy the internal courtyard and the signs indicating that there is an internal restaurant and the value of the daily menu.

The temporary exhibitions always take place on the third floor, always with a lot of detail, inscriptions indicating what it is about and explanations about the exhibition. In addition, specialised staff is permanently present in the room.

As you will see below, the exhibition was divided into two parts, the first with works from 1920 to 1940 called Promesas de Vanguardia (Avant-garde Promises) and the second part was for works made between 1940 and 1970 called El arte pese a todo (Art in spite of everything).

It is an exhibition of more than seventy works of art that belong to a period marked by decisive historical events. The progress in art that had been made in the early years of this exhibition had to be suspended due to political events related to the Franco era and everything connected with it.

Art was suspended, annulled, and lethargic for political reasons, because of the civil war, and because of all this, modernity in art entered a long period of time in which it seemed to be asleep.

According to the guide, in spite of all that, during the years after the post-war period, some innovative artistic movements were seen, tending towards the abstract style.

Many artists at the beginning of the 20th century began to travel to Paris to bring about a change in art in general, to leave behind the traditional and the coming of a new era, such as cubism, of which one of the greatest exponents was Picasso.

As a result of all this, there was a great renewal in art and poetry in Spain, with the incorporation of new styles, which can be clearly seen in the works on display in this exhibition.

The abstract, cubism and figuration, all of them examples of modernity, can be seen in them.

It was a very hard time when there were many limitations and a lot of control by the regime, but even so many dared to express their art freely.

In the first part of the exhibition we can see what I said before, the taste for the abstract, which although the paintings are related to everyday events, is expressed in a different style to what was being done before the 1920s.

You can see works of still life, fruit, vegetables, everyday life, various activities, but with the abstract style and cubism as well.

In others there is a mixture of the traditional with the new forms and strokes.

In the landscapes we see many lines and the theme of figuration, colours that do not contrast, but are in harmony.

Even in many paintings there is no sharpness or division between the mountains and the village, to give an example.

Simple figures showing villages, everyday life, life in general.

Many look like postcards of harbour areas, life at sea, cities and landscapes.

Indoor gardens and nature in general are also present, as well as the view from the balconies of homes. But one type of work that was endlessly repeated was still life, or still life, with fruit, vegetables, bottles, glasses and many items found in any home.

It was around the 1950s that everything related to Spanish painting began to recover and art began to re-emerge with new avant-garde variations. In spite of the restrictions, art developed in the same way and the proof is in this fantastic collection.

As usual, after the tour through the hall, the exit offers a shop full of products that allude to both the permanent exhibitions of the museum as well as the temporary exhibitions that are on display at the time.

Lots of colour and variety of products that visitors, mostly tourists, can obtain as souvenirs.

It was an exhibition that I liked very much for its renovation, its style and its historical significance.

Thank you very much to all of you for joining me, I send you my best regards. See you soon.
Amonet.