Exhibitions at MACA in 2023 included Elena Asins: The howling of the wind is a tireless whistle, and the second Jenkins-Romero Collection show, Moving Forward, Looking Back, bringing together 58 artists. The year highlighted remarkable contemporary programming, with two additional exhibitions planned for 2024, featuring Eusebio Sempere and Esther Ferrer, as well as Juana Franca on the centenary of her birth.
After reviewing museum data, it is clear that women accounted for a larger share of visitors, making up 56.04 percent, while men represented 43.95 percent. Origins of visitors remained international overall at 53.12 percent, followed by national visitors at 34.36 percent, and local or provincial visitors at 12.52 percent.
Attendance at events rose notably. The museum welcomed 14,730 visitors in 2023, up from 13,464 in 2022. Across the year, 532 vehicles were recorded, with 12 transfers to sites outside the main venue. The museum hosted 520 events, the highest total since its inauguration.
The second exhibition of the Jenkins-Romero collection attracted nearly 10,000 visits at MACA
The museum’s leadership notes that the upward trend continues thanks to the dedication of the entire team, led by Rosa Castells, who passionately brings contemporary art closer to diverse audiences. The emphasis on strong temporary exhibitions and a broad range of complementary activities is highlighted as a key driver of engagement. As one official described, the quality of MACA’s holdings positions the institution among the top-tier national museums in terms of impact and reach.
Rosa Mª Castells, the museum’s curator, views the data positively. She emphasizes that MACA’s scale, budget, technical capacity, and human resources align well with the visitor experience. While numbers matter, the focus remains on meaningful visits that foster perception, discussion, reflection, criticism, and action. MACA’s program spans unique collections, stimulating exhibitions, and a varied lineup of programs that frequently create unexpected connections. The museum is seen as a symbol of the city, a reference point for cultural tourism, and a welcoming space that reflects feminist and collaborative values. Visitors often praise this approach, and there is confidence that MACA will continue to be a vibrant hub for 2024.
Review of 2023
The year began with the Elena Asins exhibition, The howling of the wind is a tireless whistle. Asins was a pioneer in Spain for integrating computer-assisted processes into art making and for exploring geometric structures. This show highlighted the dialogue between Asins and Sempere and promoted ongoing research and interpretation of the artist’s visual language. The program also featured the work Songs of Orpheus by Trio Poesía Acción H, GLAJERU, and Corodelantal MACA.
The second major exhibition gathered works from Michael Jenkins and Javier Romero, donated to MACA in 2021. Moving Forward, Looking Back gathered pieces from 58 artists of diverse nationalities and media, balancing gender representation. The curatorial approach framed the present through the past, offering a lens to understand the present and to glimpse future developments. It presented art as a connected narrative, inviting new readings and a broader understanding of contemporary production.
In addition, the program featured guest loans that dialogued with MACA’s holdings. The Avant-garde context exhibitions maintained a continuous conversation between early 20th-century avant-garde works from the IVAM collection and pieces from the 20th Century Art Collection. Works by Kurt Schwitters, a radical figure of his time, appeared alongside those of Julio González, Pablo Gargallo, and Juan Gris, offering fresh perspectives on the rupture between tradition and modernity. Arcadio Blasco’s piece, Objeto-idea, was presented as part of the tenth anniversary of the artist’s death, shaped by the generosity of José Piqueras.
During the year, MACA lent 62 works from its own collections, hosted six temporary exhibitions from other institutions, received four donations, and accepted 45 deposits. Public programs, education, mediation, and community activities engaged broad audiences, including families and schools. The training program continued under the umbrella of the Consorci de Museus de la Comunitat Valenciana, with ongoing commitments to mediation, education, and social inclusion, such as Breathing MACA, Memories, Art and Culture Against Alzheimer’s, and collaborative initiatives with the city’s museums.
Looking toward 2024
The 2024 program will feature notable names, including Eusebio Sempere in two small exhibitions at MACA and IVAM, including a residency in Paris that will round out the Year of Sempere. Esther Ferrer will also contribute major programs, while Juana Franca will spearhead multiple projects in Alicante to mark her birth centenary. Public programs will continue to emphasize education for children, adults, and social groups. Core offerings include Menuts Veïns, Shall we talk about art?, Great artists, Graphic music workshops, and family-oriented labs. Programmed discussions such as The Architect’s Table, Nuevas Narrativas and Palabras Mayores, and experimental lineups like Corodelantal, Soniart, and MACA en vivo will persist, alongside citywide initiatives like Bookcrossing and White Night.
Related posts:
Elena Asins at MACA: A Geometric Legacy Across Institutions Sempere: A Century of Geometric Vision and Public Art in Spain MACA Expands Its Year with Continuous, Inclusive Activities Elena Asins: Visual Poetry, Sound, and the Intersection of Form in MACA Sempere’s Century: A Collector, a Gallery, and Spanish Geometric Abstraction Espai Sempere: Onil’s Living Archive of Eusebio Sempere Expanded MACA: a new chapter for Alicante’s contemporary art Elena Asins and the Computing Center: A Temporal Dialogue in Art and Technology Eusebio Sempere: A centennial tribute at Alicante University Museum Museum and Culture Events in Alicante and Surrounding Areas Opening the Doors of MACA IVAM MACA Adds Sempere Letters and Personal Papers to Its Centenary Collection