Dialogues Vol. 3: The Rain Does Not Come From the Sky
The third edition of our series 'The Collection: Dialogues' approaches water from a diversity of artistic perspectives: ecological, symbolic, metaphoric, political, and historical.
Incorrupt fish from the Adaja riverCollegium
The legend of the incorruptible fish of the Adaja river
This exhibition is inspired by a local legend from Arévalo. It is said that the fish from the Adaja River are incorruptible, due to a miracle by Saint Teresa. Some people keep these incorruptible fish in their homes or businesses, displaying them as treasures or trophies.
View from the central nave of San MartínCollegium
The Rain Does Not Come From The Sky
Curated by Aldones Nino, the exhibition includes more than 30 works by contemporary artists from around the world, from both the Collegium collection and other lenders. Through them, the exhibition invites us to reflect on the interconnection between water and life.
«The eternal dance of water teaches us that our existence is fluid, and the future of the world depends on our ability to live in harmony with the natural cycles that sustain life».
– Aldones Nino, curator.
Sculpture by Ayla Tavares (2022) by Ayla TavaresCollegium
Let's discover some artworks on show:
The Water Spirits (2017) by Jonathas de AndradeCollegium
This work from the Collegium collection depicts a Brazilian ritual where fishermen embrace freshly caught fish, a gesture that marks a step between life and death and encapsulates an ambiguous relationship between tenderness, violence and domination.
Work by Ulises Mazzucca at Diálogos 3 (2024) by Ulises MazzuccaCollegium
Some of the works on display were created by artists who have been in residence at Collegium, highlighting the interconnection between the museum's various programmes.
One example is this drawing by Ulises Mazzucca: a self-portrait in the bath made during his residency.
Noah's Arch (2016) by Juan Jesús VillaverdeCollegium
The exhibition wills to engage with the local context by including artists who live and work in Arévalo. This is the case of the sculptor Juan Jesús Villaverde, known for his metal work, who reinterprets the biblical narrative in this Noah's Ark.
Waterwill by Jota MombaçaCollegium
The exhibition also presents activist and advocacy perspectives on the use of water. In the video Waterwill, Jota Mombaça denounces extractive practices that continue to devastate both natural resources and communities.
Water management as a symbol of progress
Loans from other museums also show historicist perspectives on the use of water in this exhibition. This collection of postcards from the Museum of Popular Arts and Customs in Seville shows how large water infrastructures served as propaganda for progress during the 20th century.
Tripodal ceramic piece by AnónimoCollegium
In the Mesoamerican view, the rain god not only controlled the cycles of water and fertility, but also symbolized the interconnection between heaven, earth, and human beings. This piece comes from the present-day region of Guanacaste, Costa Rica (Museum of America Collection).
Exhibition graphics (2024) by Manuel Raeder StudioCollegium
Collegium, 2024.
