From February 5th through April 25th 2010 the Musée d’Ixelles in Brussels presents one of the most important collections of Cubist painting. This will be the first time Cubism and its Context. From the Fundación Telefónica Art Collection is shown outside of Spain and Latin America, reflecting the importance of Brussels at the heart of Europe.
The works included in this exhibition radically expand the Cubist canon from its perceived roots as a predominantly Spanish and French movement. Lesser known and highly accomplished Cubist painters who came from countries as diverse as Uruguay, Argentina, Poland and Russia are represented in order to re-contextualise the paintings of famous Cubists such as Juan Gris and Pablo Picasso. Thus, the international significance and scope of the Cubist movement is emphasised.
The collection is a result of international telecommunications leader Telefónica S.A. embarking on a policy of art collecting that led to the purchase of a variety of works of exceptional value, created by Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, Luis Fernández, Eduardo Chillida and Antoni Tàpies. Telefónica set out to recover the works of Spanish artists who enjoyed great international acclaim in the twentieth century, but were nevertheless scantly represented in Spain due to historical reasons.
Various factors have made the Telefónica Art Collection a touchstone of corporate patronage of culture, even at international level: the selection criteria applied and the quality of the pieces, its aptness in remedying the shortcomings of Spanish collections, particularly where modern and contemporary art was concerned, and most importantly, the millions of visitors who have been able to admire these works in the different exhibitions.
Telefónica and the Fundación Telefónica (Telefónica Foundation) are among the most important sponsors of the arts in Spain, and spend a budget in excess of 114 million Euros annually for social and cultural programmes in Europe and Latin America. Through their London-based affiliate Telefónica Europe, with this exhibition, they are now extending their support of the arts beyond the Hispanic world.
To find out more about the exhibition please visit the website of Musée d’Ixelles in Brussels:
www.museumofixelles.be”