Dialoghi Paralleli

Jorge Egea & Luca Freschi

In 2014, the exhibition "Matyrium Sanctae Eulaliae" (Martyrdom of Saint Eulalia) was presented at the MEAM, where a group of Spanish and Italian artists reinterpreted the iconography of the patron saint of Barcelona. Among them were Luca Freschi and Jorge Egea, who, after 20 years of artistic friendship and 10 years after that exhibition, come together again at the MEAM, this time with a dialogue between works from their extensive careers.

The exhibition is curated by Cristina Rodríguez-Samaniego, from the Department of Art History at UB, who has also been a regular collaborator with the MEAM in exhibitions such as "a century of Catalan sculpture" or "a bit of sculpture, please."

The MEAM offers a broader overview of these works in dialogue, while at the same time, a new proposal on the iconography of Santa Eulalia has been moved to the Diocesan Museum, in an exhibition that opened just yesterday. Thus, creating a parallelism between both institutions.

Dialoghi Paralleli brings together, in the same space, the infinite subtleties of the work of two contemporary sculptors. For them, the classical world, with its universe of images and aesthetic references, is a model to reflect upon, to question, and to periodically return to. Despite having different styles and vocations, in their personal language, we can sense the influence of the classical background, whether in the choice of themes or concepts explored, in the balance of lines, in their lack of narrativity, or in their timeless character. The interest in clay, transformed into terracotta or ceramics, is another point that connects them. With great symbolic power, it is associated with the origin of life and, in particular, that of the human being. The primary raw material of sculpture, it receives and shapes the artist's ideas, being an integral part of the creative process.

The work of Jorge Egea and Luca Freschi, gathered in Dialoghi Paralleli, also invites us to approach the materiality of sculpture, to explore the possibilities of three-dimensional form, to delve into the nuances and subtleties of its surface, as well as to navigate through its narratives and iconographies. Both propose a universe of singular beauty, where past and present harmoniously interweave, where transience and permanence coexist, and where silence and presence coalesce.

Curated by Cristina Rodríguez-Samaniego.

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