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Three years of alliance between C3A and TBA21: reflections on contemporary art in Córdoba
The collaboration has allowed local and international artists to connect and foster reflections on nature, peace and global conflicts.
Since 2022, the Center for Contemporary Creation of Andalusia (C3A) and the TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary Foundation have been carrying out a collaboration that has had a great impact on Córdoba, positioning the city as one of the reference points on the international contemporary art scene. This alliance, which has now come to an end, has resulted in a series of exhibitions and activities that have connected art with society, nature and global critical thinking.
With more than 150,000 people participating in the activities organized by both institutions, the project has been a living platform to promote artistic creation and reflection on global issues such as ecology and social justice. During this time, more than 250 works from the TBA21 collection have been exhibited in the city, while new productions and performances by renowned local and international creators were encouraged, such as Cristina Lucas, Niño de Elche, Mirna Bamieh or Courtney Desiree Morris.
Esqueleto Glóbulos, Ernesto Neto (2001). Exposició futuros abundantes © TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary
One of the great bets of this collaboration has been the trilogy of exhibitions curated by Daniela Zyman , which has explored themes such as sustainability, the connection with ancestral knowledge and social peace. The cycle began in 2022 with Futuros Abundantes, an exhibition that proposed a critical vision of our relationship with the environment through the works of figures such as Ai Weiwei , Walid Raad and Beatriz Milhazes . Emerging voices such as Seba Calfuqueo , Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa and Dana Awartani were also added to this exhibition, who question extractivist practices and offer regenerative alternatives through the arts.
The second stage of this series, Remedies (2023-2024), delved into the spirit of collective healing, exploring the relationships between spirituality and the ancestral knowledge of diverse indigenous communities. This exhibition gave space to cosmovisions that have traditionally been forgotten, showing the importance of living in harmony with nature and the territory, as exemplified by some of the pieces in the TBA21 collection.
(Alikuwa amekufa kwa uchawi.)(Pietà), Pierre Mukeba (2022) .Exposició Remedios © TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary
Finally, Ecologías de la paz (2024–2025) concluded the trilogy with a reflection on the interrelationships between conflict, art and social justice. With works by over forty artists from around the world, this exhibition used art to address issues such as extractivism and forced migration. The exhibition invited visitors to reflect on structures of violence through creations ranging from technological research to political critique, with examples such as the work of the Forensic Architecture collective, which investigates environmental and war crimes through technology, architecture and forensic aesthetics.
Petrified Petrol Pump, Allora & Calzadilla (2021). Exposició Ecologías de la paz © TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary
But the relationship between C3A and TBA21 has not been limited to exhibitions. During these three years, they have activated a network of collaborations with more than 20 Andalusian institutions, including SEO/Birdlife Córdoba , the Filmoteca de Andalucía or the Casa Árabe . In addition, more than 130 artists have been involved in the creation of parallel activities that have enriched the city's cultural offer, such as the Meandering program, which merged performances, music and conversations to explore the relationship between art, nature and society. Jimena Blázquez , director of C3A, highlights that the success of this project has been possible thanks to the constant interaction between artists and cultural agents in the city, a collective work that has allowed to create a bridge between different disciplines and creative practices, thus consolidating Córdoba as a dynamic, transformative city with the capacity to establish dialogues on major global challenges through the language of art.
Bendición, performance de Courtney Desiree Morris (2023) Foto: Fernando Sendra © TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary
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