Itinerarios XXI
28 March–31 May 2015
Fundación Botín
exhibition room
Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola, 3
Santander
Spain
Between 28 March and 31 May, the Fundación Botín exhibition hall in Santander will be hosting the 21st edition of the Itinerarios exhibit, an annual showcase that is now celebrating its 21st anniversary as a virtual gauge for the state of the arts and which year after year offers a virtual snapshot of the predominant trends in the field, both within Spain and abroad.
Since 1994, the Fundación Botín’s Visual Arts Grant programme has accommodated 168 artists from around the world, many of who have now made prominent names for themselves in the field. The aim of the programme is to promote ambitious artistic, research and training projects, to support and promote the fruit of the world’s up-and-coming talents. The group exhibition Itinerarios XXI displays the results of the processes of these artists while they have enjoyed the grant and comes with a catalogue that serves as a showcase of the different projects exhibited. Moreover, the Foundation includes in its own collection pieces by the recipients of the grant.
The 21st edition of Itineraries, Itinerarios XXI, features the works of nine artists. Some boast a long, time-honoured trajectory on the international art scene, whilst others are new talents with very interesting proposals: Carles Congost (b. 1970, Olot), Albert Corbí (b. 1976, Alcoi), Patricia Esquivias (b. 1979, Caracas), Jon Mikel Euba (b. 1967, Amorebieta), Rodrigo Oliveira (b. 1978, Sintra), Wilfredo Prieto (b. 1978, Sancti Spiritus); Julia Spínola (b. 1979, Madrid), Justin Randolph Thompson (b. 1979, New York) and Jorge Yeregui (b. 1975, Santander).
This edition of Itinerarios explores the notion of the art piece as an “interface” or a medium that enables the user to visualise a process. For decades, artists have been questioning the idea of the art piece as a product, beyond its exhibition in different venues. They toy with the notion that perhaps the most important aspect of any artistic process resides in the different phases of research and production, as opposed to the traditional concept of the finished work of art that is ready to be received and consumed.
