CAAC – Contemporary Art in Seville

by sarahcoggrave

Deep within the grounds of a cavernous old monastry, the Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo (CAAC) is a wonderful asset to the city of Seville.

http://instagram.com/p/ypE3uhvukl/

 

The Cartuja Monastery – once a ceramics factory, offers an ideal setting for contemporary art. Even before entering the building(s) visitors are greeted by an exciting array of outdoor, site-specific pieces.

 

Examples of art in the CAAC grounds © Sarah Coggrave

A giant Alice-in-Wonderland-esque face and hand protrude from windows. Cabinets and oddities teeter precariously in treetops, rather like obscure little treehouses. Blue buoy-like objects create contours in the lake, and a curious male figure stands bedecked with gadgets.

The buildings themselves were full of historical surprises. Secret alcoves paved with fading Spanish tiles, and more, unexpected spectacular ceilings.

http://instagram.com/p/ypjNjjPuiq/

 

1) The Social Construction of the Landscape

This sprawling exhibition explored multiple themes, as described on the CAAC website below:

Landscape is not the natural scenery or location within our field of vision; it is what we make of it, a cultural construct requiring an interpretation that takes existing physical elements and turns them into a landscape. In this case, it is something forged in the creative process, where the artist’s intention, intervention and interpretation of a territory yield a vision or an idea.

(From the CAAC website)

The highlight for me was a short film, in which the anthropomorphic qualities of rocks are described; forms, which, at certain times of day (when the light falls in a particular way) resemble faces and animals. Humanity and detailed scenes, embedded in crevasses and craters – reminded me of searching for faces in clouds, or seeing shapes in patterned wallpaper. Of course there was much, much more to the exhibition than this – all kinds of inventive sights and installations…

http://instagram.com/p/ypis0OPuh4/

 

2) Maria Thereza Alves: The Long Road to Xico (1991-2014)

This exhibition showcased various projects conducted by Alves, my favourite being her exploration of a lost lake in Mexico, which members of a Native community sought to recreate. The original destroyer of the landmark – a Spanish colonist, was hailed a hero, the true costs of his conquests overlooked.

Maria Thereza Alves invites us to debate two issues of critical importance for contemporary culture and for Spain in particular: the need to develop a new awareness of and respect for nature, and the urgency of rewriting colonial history. She has brought these two pressing tasks here, to the island in the River Guadalquivir where Columbus was buried and his son planted a centuries-old ombu tree whose branches still provide welcome shade today, a place ideally suited for rethinking “where and who we are at this moment in time”.

(From the CAAC website)

 Contemporary art spaces such as these frequently provided a refuge during my trip; from the crowds, the noise of the city and the more predictable tourist attractions. It was comforting to be around the work of artists I was familiar with, in settings and spaces that varied little across countries. Yet at the same time there was something disconcerting about this invariability – the white cube, the superfluous text, the pervasiveness of this contemporary art ‘model’ and the ways of displaying art this seemed to dictate.

I digress.

Following my visit to CAAC I wandered along the banks of the Guadalquivir River once more, until darkness fell. Then I returned to the hostel, bracing myself for yet another, sleepless night of noise.

See more:

Beginning At The End

Some Practical Matters

The Road To Seville

Spanish Tiles And Spectacular Ceilings