Ficciones. Narratividad en el arte contemporáneo

The Centro Cultural España in Mexico presents Ficciones. Narratividad en el arte contemporáneo, a group show with works by Alan Sierra, Ignasi Aballí, Isa Carrillo, Mariana Castillo Deball, Andy Medina, Mabel Palacín, Gonzalo Elvira, Dora García, Verónica Gerber Bicecci, Jorge Méndez Blake, Teresa Solar and Irene Solà. Curated by Ferran Barenblit.

Ficciones. Narratividad en el arte contemporáneo is curated by Ferrán Barenblit, an exhibition that explores the possibilities of storytelling in art, and how these narratives are created, transmitted, and received. The show invites us to examine the relationship between visual arts and literature, revealing how they question, complement, expand, and overflow into each other.

This group exhibition brings together Spanish and Mexican artists who, through a range of techniques, construct fragmented and emotional stories. Themes such as identity, memory, and history emerge, prompting reflections on the importance of narrative in shaping our reality.

In a time of rapid technological advancement—when much of the information we receive and that shapes the stories of today is intense, fleeting, and of questionable credibility—it is crucial to imagine other kinds of narratives: ones that trust in our ability to build a vision of reality.

In the era of post-truth, we face the danger that the constant repetition of falsehoods will create the illusion of believable constructions, with unpredictable and undesirable political consequences. The works gathered here propose a narrative grammar that questions cultural, political, and social realities, inviting us to reflect on the power of storytelling in a world where meaning is constantly being negotiated.

A continuous, multidisciplinary dialogue

The exhibition takes as its starting point the deep and passionate relationship between art and literature—not only as a source of inspiration, but as an ongoing dialogue in which alternative and complex realities are woven together.

The participating artists are: Alan Sierra, Ignasi Aballí, Isa Carrillo, Mariana Castillo Deball, Andy Medina, Mabel Palacín, Gonzalo Elvira, Dora García, Verónica Gerber Bicecci, Jorge Méndez Blake, Teresa Solar, and Irene Solà.

In Ficciones. Narratividad en el arte contemporáneo, each artist presents a commitment to producing subjectivities, translating individual and collective experiences into stories that, through interpretation, reveal how history is constructed. The inevitable losses and additions in the process of interpretation—some extraordinarily subtle—enrich meaning, adding layers that reshape our perception of reality through images, texts, and performative actions. In this context, narrativity becomes a principle of meaning-making that, far from offering universal truths, presents fragmented and multiple perspectives.

The opening of the exhibition will take place on Saturday, May 24, at 7:00 p.m., and will feature a performance by Los Torreznos, a duo composed of Rafael Lamata (Valencia, 1959) and Jaime Vallaure (Asturias, 1965), who explore themes related to the social, the political, and deeply rooted customs. Their work translates everyday issues into the language of contemporary art.

—Centro Cultural de España en México

May 24, 2025. 7pm: Opening + Performance by Los Torreznos