Arcadi Blasco participated in the Venice Biennale on two occasions. The first happened in the 1960s as part of a collective exhibition, and the second in June 1970. During the latter, he presented his work at the Spanish pavilion at the Italian event. His exhibits, including Dialogue Suggestions and Torture Suggestions, emerged as habitable mud enclosures that align with his Zone for a legal murder, a symbolic piece shown at the Alicante Museum of Contemporary Art (MACA).
Alongside these works, Blasco reportedly displayed several Objects-Idea that marked the onset of a new creative phase leading to Venice. While many pieces have scattered histories, MACA holds one of them—the five-year deposit—an Object-Idea by José Piqueras that now hangs in the museum, echoing the tenth anniversary of Blasco’s passing.
“An exposed piece at the Ten gallery in Barcelona in 1969, then traveling to the Venice Biennale,” noted Piqueras. “Its significance lies in the context of the large work MACA already possesses.” A university professor confirms these works were withdrawn from the market and highlights how fortunate it is that they remain here where they belong as museum pieces. The terracotta pieces are in excellent condition, as originally suggested by Arcadi.
New Cultural Council Member Nayma Beljilali remarks, “It is a remarkable opportunity to visit the museum and reflect on the two works that compose the vast creative universe behind one of the references for contemporary art in Alicante.”
Composition
The ceramic figure takes center stage as reliefs begin to envelop it. The works become more sculptural and even architectural with the addition of workable holes, as noted in the catalog from the artist’s 2017 exhibition at MUA. The craft draws from intimate sources: cuneiform and repeated writing imprints, rows of beads pressed with clay in varying sizes, pendant beads or radiations suggesting jewelry from ancient cultures. The pieces balance refinement and rawness, exhibiting both delicate detail and robust relief where matter still simmers.
Artist
Arcadi Blasco Pastor (Mutxamel, Alicante, 1928 – Majadahonda, Madrid, 2013) found in ceramics his preferred medium for creative expression during the latter half of the 1950s. His artistic education began as a painter at the Madrid School of Fine Arts, culminating in 1953 after completing studies at the San Carlos School of Fine Arts in Valencia. That same year, he moved to Italy for two years, living at the Spanish Academy in Rome. His initial encounter with pottery came through the work of Nino Caruso and Carlo Zauli.
Back in Spain, Blasco pursued ceramic explorations and developed an interest in artisanal ceramics. He participated in workshops in Agost and Triana (Cerámica Montalbán). In 1955 he established his first studio in the nave of the Museum of the Americas, located in the University City of Madrid, sharing the space with José Luis Sánchez, Jacqueline Canivet, and Carmen Perujo. There, among other projects, he contributed stained glass, mosaics, and ceramic murals in collaboration with architects such as José Luis Fernández del Amo, Ignacio Gárate, Luis Cubillo, García Benito, and Luis Feduchi, focusing on decorative works for churches funded by the Institute for the Colonization of the Peoples of Spain. Fernández Alba and Fisac were among the other architects involved.
The spacious workshop occasionally hosted painters who needed large-format surfaces, turning it into a meeting place for the Madrid avant-garde of the time.
Stages
One of the most notable aspects of Blasco’s career as a ceramist is the arc from 1945 to 1974, during which he consistently pursued ceramic-centered exploration within contemporary art. He opened a series of works that, in his own words, placed him within the visual arts scene and led to numerous national and international exhibitions. Ceramics remained a mainstay throughout his involvement with contemporary art circles.
After his initial foray into painting surfaces as a way to carry a pictorial vocabulary, Blasco found a strong sense of purpose in clay. This shift culminated in Ceramic Paintings (1956-64), a body of work that fused ceramic material with expressive painting. In subsequent cycles, he explored Objects-Idea (1969) and Sugerencias Ornamentales (1969-74), followed by architectural and wall-based constructions, archaeological fragments, and ceremonial wheels for community contexts. His palette leaned toward earth tones, with glazes and oxides applied in subtle, nuanced ways—often fired to a reduction to emphasize material depth.
During the 1950s, Blasco was among the most provocative Spanish artists in the field of ceramics. He tested the material’s expressive potential, finding in the late 60s a favorable environment to push the boundaries of painted and sculpted forms—creating social commentary through his reliefs and sculptural works. By 1985, he settled in Mutxamel, Alicante, where his studio in the Bonalba area became a hub for evolving cultural initiatives, including ceramics education for a new generation of artists.