The Sorigué Foundation reopens with the first major solo exhibition of Juan Zamora, "Life in emergency"

On February 18, the Sorigué Foundation reopened the doors of its exhibition space in Lleida with the exhibition titled Life in emergency. Juan Zamora , which is the first major individual exhibition of the Madrid artist, which can be seen until December 17, 2023.

To promote reflection through contemporary art, the Sorigué Foundation has opted for a unique exhibition project, which brings together, from an artistic and scientific perspective, the great questions of human existence through the biological processes of the nature.

The exhibition alludes directly to issues related to environmental and social sustainability. Biodiversity in danger of extinction due to anthropogenic action, environmental pollution, green energies or cooperation between species are some of the issues that Juan Zamora echoes through media as diverse as drawing, installation ·lation or the video.

This exhibition it has an essentially introspective and personal character, since it traces a route through a large part of the works and series realized by Zamora up to the moment.

From the work Soplando una flor , from the collection of the Sorigué Foundation and which is part of one of his first series of works, the artist begins a process of knowledge that will lead him to analyze the being collectively human.

His interest in the study of life cycles in nature and the constant processes of transformation have led him to address existential and everyday questions, such as life, death or love, often starting from common experiences , some of his own biography. In the words of Ana Vallés, president of the Sorigué Foundation: "Juan Zamora channels, through his work, the common need to understand life. From biology plasma from a poetic perspective universal themes. Their work is deeply linked to the concerns that call us as a foundation and as a business group. Zamora's work accompanies us in our will to reflect and calls us to act as a society".

The latest exhibitions of the Sorigué Foundation are characterized by reflecting their concern for current environmental challenges. This commitment is aligned with the sustainable approach of the Sorigué group, which seeks to develop green innovation projects and promote the circular economy.

La president de la Fundació, Anna Vallés i l’artista Juan Zamora

Life in emergency

The concept of " emergency " to which Juan Zamora alludes in the title of the exhibition, approaches two meanings of the term. On the one hand, to a dangerous situation that requires immediate action and, on the other, to what is born, that emerges.

The artist carries out both concepts in this exhibition. First, it refers to the theory of emergence, developed within the framework of the philosophy of science, which explains the emergence of life from the collectivity and the interaction between the parts. In turn, it is a concept that the artist uses to warn of the current environmental crisis and the problematic interaction of humans with natural ecosystems.

The concept of emergency in sociological terms also leads to developing and questioning the implications of the perception of the human being and its role in the ecosystem, an omnipresent theme in the artist's work.

For his part, Juan Zamora explains that "this is an exhibition that studies life from science and from art. At this crossroads we will find works that are alive, that are animated. It is approached from different disciplines, such as drawing or video projections... It is a very experiential experience".

It must be said that drawing as an artistic language is intrinsic to the work of Juan Zamora. Sometimes it is an automatic act, other times meticulous and almost scientific. From here, the artist evolves into other formats. He often investigates complex concepts from simple, primary and gestural forms; other times his technique becomes complex, making perception doubt and mixing imagination with reality.

Juan Zamora y González (Madrid, 1982) has a degree in Fine Arts from the CES Felipe II of Arajuez, Complutense University of Madrid (2006) and a Master of Contemporary Art from the European University of Madrid (2007-08).

He has been invited as a teacher in countries such as South Africa, New York, Spain and the USA. He has held workshops in countries such as Colombia, China, Madrid, Murcia, etc. Com also has a wide track record of prizes, grants, artistic residencies and individual and collective exhibitions throughout Spain and the world such as Espacio Sin Título, Galería Moriarty, Domus Artium, Artium, Galería Art Nueve, Beijing Space Gallery , Ángeles Baños or Slowtrack, among others.

Zamora defines the whole of his work as a study of life and its processes approached from practice, especially drawing and animation expanded to dialogue. Most of his works originate from his personal experiences in certain contexts and in certain communities, and in his creation the game is a fundamental tool when it comes to generating knowledge and relationships between diverse elements. This exhibition is no exception, as this time Zamora plays with nature and science.