'Dies Irae', by Martín Blanco

Last November 14, the temporary exhibition 'Dies Irae' by the Andorran artist Martín Blanco was inaugurated at the Espai Caldes in Escaldes-Engordany . For the first time, this artist from Canilla presents a series of paintings in which he embodies his thoughts and reflections on the contemporary world through a particular reinterpretation of classic themes of Western art.

In this exhibition, Blanco says goodbye to digital art and shows us a series of oil paintings, in large format, that represent narrative scenes and illustrated admonitions about the sins of contemporary man, symbols, details and footnotes, among other elements. Its classical side should be highlighted, especially in a work that reproduces the Crucifixion. It is worth mentioning that, in all the works of 'Dies Irae', there is a classic reference to the Crucifixion, which the artist uses to denounce the culture of cancellation. According to Blanco, "if you say anything that comes out of the mainstream, you're dead."

It is also necessary to mention some outstanding works of the exhibition, such as 'The fine line', inspired by the philosophy of Kintsugi; Witches of Modernity, which criticizes the neopuritan content that proliferates on social networks; and 'The scarlet letter', which symbolizes the constant cycle of life. Another notable example is the work entitled 'The apotheosis of the self: Icarus, Narcissus', the apple of paradise with a bite in the form of a "like", among other allegories.

In short, with this sample Blanco has replaced Photoshop with oil, transforming himself into a classic moralist in both substance and form.

Within the exhibition's program of activities, several guided tours have been scheduled every Saturday at 5:00 p.m. (free and without prior reservation), a painting workshop by the artist (February 1 to at 11:00 a.m.) and a talk between Martín Blanco and journalist Andrés Luengo about his work (Friday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m.).

The exhibition will be open to the public until February 22, 2025.