Alicante University Museum (MUA) is commemorating the most outstanding Alicante artist of the 20th century, Eusebio Sempere, with an exhibition. light of Semperon the centenary of his birth. The exhibition can be seen in the museum until July 22, 2023. Arcadi Blasco Roomwith an exhibition route that includes 26 works of the artist Onil from MUA’s own funds. Complete with exhibition showcase with documents, photographs and publications About Eusebio Sempere Doctor Honoris Causa award by the University of Alicante in 1984 or the wide variety of books and catalogs published about the life and work of this universal native of Alicante.
For over 15 years, MUA has been displaying its collection by programming an exhibition of twenty works selected around different themes for each academic year. Landscape, color, abstraction, houses or artistic processes have been some of them. The common theme on this occasion is not a theme, but an event.
Thanks to the generosity of the gallery owner from Santander Fernando SilioAU was able to obtain Production of graphic work, almost completed by Sempere in 1997 A set of close to 180 pieces. The team of art technicians at MUA selected a selection of works from Sempere’s collection to reflect the main milestones in his life and immerse the visitor in his biography and art career. Thus, a journey through the events and cities that marked his life is shown: Onil and his family; Valencia and San Carlos School of Fine Arts; Paris and contemporary; Return to Madrid, Spain; IT Center experience; Cuenca and the Museum of Abstract Art; Recognition by Alicante and the public; Sempere and AU.
The sample is completed with a didactic workshop, It is for infants, primary, secondary, high school and university students, in addition to the other activities we will mention throughout the course. “Before carrying out the visiting workshop light of Semper tested with students from schools and institutes, university students of the topic Didactics of Plastic Expression in UA Early Childhood and Primary Education, which allowed to test the relevance of materials and creative processes”, they add.
The workshop will be held from October 17 to May 11, 2023, with a highly participatory approach, both in narrative in the room, always in dialogue, and in the workshop itself. The event will allow to experiment with the possibilities of optical art and geometric abstraction by combining lines, colors and transparencies with themes such as landscape, geometry, memory or literature, just as Sempere did in his time.
From the Didactic Area of MUA, “we program activities that adapt the content according to the age of the participants. On this occasion, two activities are proposed, one for children and the first stage of primary school, and the other from grade 3 of primary school to grade 2 of high school, with clearly different materials and arguments.. The Didactic Field of the MUA has designed a second activity for this course, PLURI-IDENTITATS 2023 (Cycles of middle, high school and education from 1 March to 11 May 2023).
3rd edition Call for Visual Arts PLURI-IDENTITATS It will be the framework of the exhibition that will allow immersion in multidisciplinary artistic works that deal with concepts such as emotional-sexual diversity, capacity and plurality of expressions, or multiculturalism. The educational event will begin with a dynamic visit to the exhibition and continue with actions that encourage discussion, reflection and awareness of the issues discussed.
Eusebio Sempere (Decade, 1923-1985)
One of the main figures of the Spanish artistic panorama of the second half of the 20th century and the most internationally recognized contemporary artist from Alicante: Prince of Asturias Art Award (1983) and Doctor Honoris Causa (1984) from the University of Alicante. Its production, which is considered to be the promoter of serigraphy in our country, is connected with lyrical abstraction, which is closely connected with optical and kinetic art.
Sempere and AU
On January 4, 1984, the University of Alicante, first Doctor Honoris Causa, which fell on the figure of Eusebio Sempere. The event highlighted his prolific artistic career, the consistency of his plastic thinking, and the aesthetic reflection that fostered his work. Despite Sempere’s death, a close bond with UA has been maintained over the years: corporate logo de la UA was inspired by one of the gouaches he made in 1956; Between 1996 and 1999 UA bought almost all of his graphic work. More than 175 plates.
In December 1999, MUA opened its doors by designating one of its rooms as Sempere; Since its opening, the university museum has hosted about twenty exhibitions, both individually and collectively, starring Eusebio Sempere; in many cases these exhibitions were accompanied by activities designed by the Didactic Space of MUA, such as educational workshops, guided tours and family events; during these years, MUA has published 12 publications, mostly catalogues, about the artist from Onil.. The best legacy to celebrate his centennial is to remember his life and spread his work.