CUENCA......(early December 2016)

Cuenca is a city in the autonomous community of Castile-La Manca in east-central Spain.  It is the capital of the province of Cuenca.  The population of the city is approximately 56,000.  

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST

Historic Walled Town of Cuenca

"Built by the Moors (in the 8th century) in a defensive position at the heart of the Caliphate of Cordoba, Cuenca is an unusually well-preserved medieval fortified city. Conquered by the Castilians in the 12th century, it became a royal town and bishopric endowed with important buildings, such as Spain's first Gothic cathedral, and the famous casas colgadas (hanging houses), suspended from sheer cliffs overlooking the Huécar river. Taking full advantage of its location, the city towers above the magnificent countryside.

The Committee decided to inscribe the nominated property on the basis of cultural criteria (ii) and (v) considering that the site is of outstanding universal value as it is an exceptional example of the medieval fortress town that has preserved its original townscape remarkably intact along with many excellent examples of religious and secular architecture from the 12th to the 18th centuries. It is also exceptional because the walled town blends into and enhances the fine rural and natural landscape within which it is situated."

STREET SCENES

TORRE DE MANGANA Y PLAZA DE MANGANA

(The Tower of Mangana and Mangana Square)

16th Century Several restorations and re-designs: latest, 1968

Monument to the Constitution by Jorge Torner (?)

CATEDRAL DE CUENCA

(Cuenca Cathedral)

Officially:

BASILICA DE NUESTRA SEÑORA DE GRACIA 

(Basilica of Our Lady of Grace) 

Familiarly known as: 

CATEDRAL DE SANTA MARIA Y SAN JULIAN DE CUENCA
(Cathedral of Holy Maria and Saint Julian of Cuenca)

1182-1270

Facade restored, 1902

(Contemporary stained-glass windows date from the early 1990s.)

A series of chapels surround the apse, one more impressive than the next.

 I rarely (read, never) consciously photograph religious art.  This Cathedral has some impressive examples that are impressively displayed.

  

(An exterior courtyard of the Cathedral precinct.)

We were surprised to discover that the Cathedral was hosting an art exposition that filled the entire space in a variety of ways.  The "in the air" shots of the nave (above), for instance, were taken from a specially-built platform reached by a temporary industrial staircase surrounded by hanging metal links to create a beaded effect, a translucency that once again transformed the 750-year old church.  

There were three distinct exhibitions:

Miguel de Cervantes: La Mirada Intemporal (The Timeless "View")

Al Wei Wei: La Mirada Lejana (The Distant "View")

Informalists: La Mirada Cercana (The Close "View")

(The Spanish word Mirada does not have an exact translation into English.  It primarily refers to "look," but also can mean "gaze," etc.  In this instance, "view" seems to be convey the best sense of the meaning of the titles.)

Altogether, it is an extraordinary and extraordinarily effective temporary (?) repurposing of this historic and religious edifice.

(The reformed entry to the Cathedral.)

The main exhibit, the Al Wei Wei installation, that was mounted in the church's exterior cloister is described in detail in the following article.  

Renowned Chinese artist to go on display in Cuenca cathedral

Matt Ford

 

 Spain

 

 15 July 2016

"CUENCA’S Gothic cathedral is to host its first modern art exhibition, with an installation by Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei to go on display from July 26.

Entitled S.A.C.R.E.D, the exhibit portrays his experience of being incarcerated in solitary confinement for 81 days in 2011, and comprises half-a-dozen large iron boxes, each of which contains sculptures depicting scenes from his desolate detention.

These include portrayals of him under interrogation by prison officers, being watched while he used the bathroom, and sleeping on his cot.

The display was previously on show at Venice’s Art Biennale, the biennial contemporary visual art exhibition held in odd-numbered years, and will remain on display in the Castile-La Mancha capital until November 6.  (WE VISITED A MONTH LATER AND THE DISPLAY WAS STILL LIVE.)

It forms part of the ongoing celebrations commemorating the fourth centenary of legendary writer Miguel de Cervantes’ death, who was imprisoned in Algiers for five years among other stints behind bars.

Carmen Olivie, the general director of cultural management brand Eulen Art, who are organising the exhibition, said: "There are important parallels between Cervantes and Ai Weiwei.

"Both suffered captivity, both suffered deprivation of liberty, and that profoundly marked their lives and their vision of art."

Ai Weiwei is China’s most illustrious contemporary artist, and was detained by authorities over his championing of democracy and criticism of the government, despite having previously helped design the iconic Bird’s Nest stadium for the Beijing Olympics in 2008."

(Views of the dioramas from small windows in the metal boxes.)

Throughout the rest of the Cathedral, art installations of works by the Informalists: Martin Chirino, Francisco Farreras, Luis Feito and Rafael Canogar.  Informalism "is considered one of the most important movements in 20th century art.  (It) flourished in Paris in the post-World War II era...the style was quickly taken up in the 1950s by Spanish artists who then developed it into a major trend in their country through the 1960s."

(Another profusely and beautifully decorated (note, ceiling) side chapel, 

taken over for use as a gallery space.)

LA HOZ DE HUÉCAR

The Huécar River Gorge

Built over a rock ledge above the river gorge in the 15th century are the Las Casas Colgas - the hanging houses - of which this is one of the best examples.

The Punete de San Pablo (the bridge of Saint Paul) was originally completed in 1589.  The current structure dates from 1902.

HOTEL PARADOR DE CUENCA
and
ESPACIO TORNER

(Early 16th Century; 18th Century)

Located in the former Covento de San Pablo de Cuenca (Convent of Saint Peter), this building is now a Parador Nacional de Turismo, one of a number of abandoned historic structures, including castles, palaces, convents, monasteries, and fortresses converted by the Spanish government into world-class, luxury hotels.  (The paradors include a few modern structures built in the traditional style in areas of outstanding beauty.)  The profits from the hotels are earmarked to help fund the conservation of other Spanish monuments.  

As you can see, this Parador is located in a strategic site in Cuenca, reached by the the Punete de San Pablo and has outstanding views of the city and the gorge. The convent was ruled by Dominican monks, but during the 19th century was handed over the Pauline Fathers, who were based here until 1975 when they left due to the possible collapse of the building.  The Convent was restored in the 1990s for use as the Parador.

The convent church, adjacent and attached to the convent, was finished in the 18th century in the rococo style.  In another masterful stroke of preservation and repurposing, the church has become the Espacio Torner (Torner Space), a permanent museum dedicated to artist Gustavo Torner, a native of Cuenca, born 1925.  The Space was inaugurated in 2005. 

Torner "was a sel-taught artist (and sculptor) who, together with Gerardo Rueda and Fernando Zóbel formed the Conquense School, one of the first initiatives to introduce the new currents of modern art in Spain in the 1960s."  Together with the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español (the Spanish Museum of Abstract Art - not shown here), the two museums have catapulted Cuenca into a destination for art lovers, art students and art historians, creating yet another major reason to visit the city.

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Copyright © 2017 Benjamin Clavan