TBA21 in Cordoba: New collaboration to bring exhibitions, programs to historic Spanish city
Today Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary (TBA21) signed an agreement with the Cordoba City Council and the Department of Culture and Historical Heritage of the Andalusian Regional Government that establishes a three-year collaboration with the Centre for Contemporary Creation of Andalusia (C3A) and the City to create new cultural and public programming in Cordoba. This joint initiative will highlight the rich tradition of the arts in the region in dialogue with works of contemporary art from the TBA21 collection, engaging local artists and communities, and drawing new audiences to experience the culture of Cordoba.
The centrepiece of the partnership will be a series of exhibitions drawn from TBA21’s unparalleled collection of commissions and contemporary art, together with ongoing public programs, including performances, artist residences and symposia that will draw together artists from the region and the international artistic community. It will also feature installations that will activate cultural, historical and public spaces throughout Cordoba. All of these programs will be free of charge.
With Cordoba’s long history as a centre for creativity and tolerance, the partnership with the Andalusian Regional Government, the city of Cordoba and C3A is a natural extension of TBA21’s mission. For 20 years, TBA21 has sparked new collaborations across the arts, humanities and sciences, partnering with cultural and educational organizations, and municipalities and communities around the world.
“Cordoba is a legendary city, with an incredible history, rooted in tolerance. Tolerance is about being welcoming and embracing, and so TBA21 is honoured to accept the invitation to collaborate with Mayor José María Bellido, President of the Region of Andalucía Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, as well as the people of Cordoba and artists of the region to embark on this three-year partnership,” said Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza, founder of TBA21. “This year we are celebrating our 20th anniversary, and nothing excites me more than to embark on a new challenge at this time. Integrating our program into a city with such a rich history gives us an opportunity to build a new future, based on trust and generosity. We need all of us to look to the future and contribute towards a more sustainable art practice, whilst galvanizing the transformative power of art. We very much look forward to this great opportunity of working together to build a long and fruitful partnership with Cordoba, building on this city’s legacy as a global cultural crossroads.”
The first program of the new collaboration, Abundant Futures, will open in April at C3A. Curated by Daniela Zyman, TBA21’s Artistic Director, the exhibition reflects the Foundation’s 20-year history of research, collaboration and experimentation through the lens of artists. Installed throughout the C3A space, this exhibition brings together an important selection of works from TBA21’s collection, many of which were groundbreaking commissions, representing different generations of artists across multiple geographies. It charts unexplored trajectories and maps out new paths for conceiving past and present life-relations towards abundant ways of living together.
Based in Madrid, and Vienna, TBA21 has a long history with Spain, including its ongoing relationship and collaborations with the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, as well as support of other cultural centres in the city such as the Reina Sofía and Matadero Madrid. The Foundation has also worked with institutions in a number of other Spanish cities including Barcelona, Seville and Bilbao, among others, to present exhibitions and loans from the Foundation’s collection.
