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CONCIERTO / 80 Aniversario de las Naciones Unidas & Cristóbal Gabarrón
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Cover photo: © Gabarron Foundation. June, 2025
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Art, education, creativity, and international outreach Dear Friends,
In this newsletter, we share some of the most relevant activities carried out by the Cristobal Gabarron Museum over the last month. This period has been marked by the commemoration of the artist's 80th birthday, the start of new international residencies, the opening of new exhibitions in Murcia as well as at prestigious cultural events in Europe, and the graduation of the first school in New York from our educational program teaching the Gabarron Method of developing creativity through art.
We would also like to highlight the events taking place in June, notably the 4th Art and Gastronomy Encounter, marking the 20th anniversary of the museum's inauguration by Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Asturias, now King and Queen of Spain.
From Mula, Murcia, to Amsterdam, Wesenberg, and New York, we continue to foster dialogue between art, memory, and community.
Juan Gabarron Director
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AGENDA: Recent Highlights
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L-R / T-B: Juan Gabarróon, Cristina Álamo, Cornelia Nagel, Marc Mateos, Nacho Martín Encinas
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May 6 I Sculpture Park | Wesenberg, Germany
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2025 SEASON / Artists-in-Residence Program / Wesenberg |
Skulpturenpark Wesenberg has welcomed this year's first cohort of resident artists.
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➡️ Cristina Álamo
Textile designer and researcher specializing in sustainability and collaborative practices.
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➡️ Nacho Martín Encinas
Visual Artist working primarily in painting, drawing, and installation.
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➡️ Marc Mateos
Visual Artist | Abstracta 2025 program, in collaboration with the museum.
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L-R: Cristóbal Belda, José Ballesta, Diego Avilés, pablo Ruiz Villanueva, Fernando López Miras, Carlos Egea Krauel ans Carmen Conesa during the opening
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May 15-16 I Las Claras Cultural Center of the Cajamurcia Foundation and the Cristobal Gabarron Museum | Murcia
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ANTHOLOGICAL / "Gabarron. Memory's Crystal (1961-2025) " / Las Claras Cultural Center & Cristobal Gabarron Museum |
To mark the 80th anniversary of Cristobal Gabarron's birth, the Cajamurcia Foundation and our museum have jointly organized this major anthological exhibition in two venues: Curated by Cristóbal Belda in collaboration with Javier Pérez Segura, the exhibition surveys six decades of artistic creation through a fresh and socially engaged perspective.
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May 15–18 I Las Claras Cultural Center of the Cajamurcia Foundation and the Cristobal Gabarron Museum | Murcia
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Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Cristóbal Gabarrón Museum joined International Museum Day and Night festivities with a comprehensive cultural program that drew crowds to its Mula venue.
Throughout the week, the museum transformed into a space for dialogue between art, memory, and community – reinforcing its mission as an accessible institution committed to public engagement. Through activities coordinated with other city museums, we strengthened our institutional network promoting universal access to culture.
Highlights included:
🎨 Inauguration of the anthological exhibition "Gabarron. Memory's Crystal" at Las Claras Cultural Center – @fundacioncajamurcia and our museum. 🎤 Guided tours with exceptional public participation. ✍️ Children's haiku workshop, where young creativity shone through inspired by Gabarrón's work. 🎹 Special piano concert by Manuel Tévar, offering an emotive musical journey reflecting Gabarrón's and the United Nations' universal values.. 🚪 Open-door days allowing visitors to rediscover our galleries with fresh perspectives.
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Manuel Tévar at the concert
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May 17 I San Francisco’s Convent, Mula City Museum | Mula, Murcia
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TRIBUTE CONCERT / Gabarron's 80th (1945-2025) |
How we wxperienced Manuel Tévar's Special piano concert: Held at the Museum of the City – San Francisco Convent in Mula, this event was part of the coordinated 2025 International Museum Day programming featuring all three of Mula's museums.
It was an extraordinary tribute: a solo piano performance presenting 'Gabarron's Portrait' – a project created by Tévar honoring both Cristobal Gabarron's 80th birthday and the United Nations' 80th anniversary. The program offered a profound, emotionally resonant musical journey with deep social commitment. The centerpiece, 'Hope for Peace', powerfully reminded us of art and music's unique capacity as tools for dialogue and social transformation.
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'Atlanta Star, an Olympic Forest' at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam.
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May 20 I Olympic Stadium | Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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OPENING / ARTZUID Biennial / Amsterdam |
“Atlanta Star – An Olympic Forest” at ARTZUID 2025 – Amsterdam
Artist Cristóobal Gabarron participates in the ninth edition of ARTZUID, Amsterdam's Sculpture Biennial, with his installation "Atlanta Star – An Olympic Forest". Comprising 26 sculptures, the work promotes peace and cultural diversity through Olympic values.
Opened on May 20, 2025 by H.R.H. Princess Beatrix, the biennial runs until September 21 in Amsterdam's southern district (Apollolaan, Minervalaan and Zuidas). Titled "Elightenment", this edition celebrates Amsterdam's 750th anniversary by honoring the city's legacy of freedom and tolerance.
Notable attendees included Spanish Ambassador Consuelo Femenía, Cultural Affairs Consul Joaquín Durán Garach, and Ángel Carro of the Gabarron Foundation, reinforcing Spain's cultural presence at the event.
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L-R: Antonio Gabarron, Omar Sarr, Avril Guzman, Christopher Mastrocola, Doris B. González, Carmen González, Derick Spaulding, Ricardo Longo, Santiago Taveras, Juan Gabarron. Seated: Lisa Long, Irma Zardoya and Amalia Schiff.
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May 28 I AECI 2 | Bronx, New York, USA
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GRADUATION / CreART!ing / New York |
The 9th grade class at New York City Charter School for Computer, Engineering and Innovation (AECI 2) has completed the CREARTING | Gabarron Method program, designed to foster creativity through art.
Marking its first English-language implementation in the United States, this 30-week program ran twice weekly during curricular hours throughout the 2024-2025 academic year. Students engaged via a specialized online platform developed by the Gabarron Foundation in collaboration with the Knowledge Frontier Foundation and Cristobal Gabarron Museum - Casa Pintada Foundation.
Conceived as both creativity catalyst and training tool, the program embodies a core principle: like any human skill, creativity requires constant practice!
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The program's final week proved memorable. It began with a visit from Dr. Guillermo Linares – the first Dominican American elected to public office in U.S. history – and culminated with a pivotal visit by Lisa Long and Amalia Schiff from the New York State Education Department (NYSED), alongside Doris B. González from the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC).
Our gratitude extends to Santiago Taveras, Christopher Mastrocola, Avril Guzman, Derick Spaulding, and Irma Zardoya. Special recognition to Jessica Reynoso, Ricardo Longo, Omar Sarr, MBA, and Carmen González for their exceptional contributions.
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Creativity Program Graduation Ceremony. 9th Grade Students, AECI2 Charter School, New York.
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June 12 I Cristobal Gabarron Museum | Mula (Murcia)
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ART & GASTRONOMY / 20th Anniversary / Cristobal Gabarron Museum |
Celebrating the museum's 20th anniversary milestone, this special edition event unites artistic vision and culinary artistry.
Under the direction of Chef Juan Miguel López Baquero, the gathering pays tribute to four regional masters: Cristobal Gabarron, Antonio Gómez Ribelles, Katarzyna Rogowicz, and Antonio Tapia.
A sensory dialogue exploring culture, identity, and place.
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The Cristobal Gabarron Museum is not confined to the walls of its venue in Mula. Like the artist after whom it is named, it is defined by a nomadic spirit. The dissemination of our work reaches far beyond geographic borders, extending to various parts of the country and the world.
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FEATURING | Anthological "Gabarron. Memory's Crystal (1961-2025)" | Murcia |
Gabarron. Memory's Crystal (1961-2025) is an anthological exhibition tracing the artistic and personal evolution of Cristobal Gabarron, from his earliest works in the 1960s to his most recent creations. Through the voices of curator Cristóbal Belda, in collaboration with Javier Pérez Segura, President of Fundación Caja Murcia Carlos Egea Krauel, Mayor of Murcia José Ballesta, and UN Chief, Press and External Relations in Geneva (2015-2022) in Geneva Rhéal LeBlanc, the exhibition reveals the core themes of a profoundly biographical, humanistic, and universal body of work.
This exhibition not only revisits essential moments in Gabarrón's career but also highlights the enduring relevance and future trajectory of his art. This monograph also introduces key sections of the retrospective book (Vital Essence, Curatorial Texts, Key Quotes...)..
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VIDEO MONOGRAPH | ArtZuid Biennial Special | Amsterdam |
Discover ArtZuid 2025, Amsterdam’s Sculpture Biennial celebrating the city’s 750th anniversary!
Immerse yourself in Atlanta Star, An Olympic Forest by Cristobal Gabarron – a vibrant installation of 26 monoliths chronicling a century of Olympism, from Athens 1896 to Atlanta 1996. Situated at Stadionplein, opposite the 1928 Olympic Stadium, this work merges art and sport, embodying the spirit of equality and tolerance.
With the theme Enlightenment, ArtZuid 2025 invites reflection and dialogue through over 70 sculptures along Apollolaan, Minervalaan, and Zuidas, from 21 May to 21 September. Join this celebration of art, history, and human connection!
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Cintha van Heeswijck, Director of ArtZuid 2025, emphasizes the emotional impact of Atlanta Star, An Olympic Forest at Stadionplein.
Cintha highlights the sculpture’s significance within the context of the 1928 Olympic Stadium, reinforcing civic pride and Amsterdam’s connection to Olympic history.
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Ralph Keuning, Curator of ArtZuid’s 9th edition, explains that the Enlightenment theme promotes reasoning, open dialogue, and diversity in polarized times.
Keuning praises Atlanta Star, An Olympic Forest for defining Stadionplein with its vibrant color and power, noting how Spanish contributions infuse the biennial with dynamic beauty.
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ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM at Gabarron Museum Sculpturepark Wesenberg | Germany |
June marks the first month of the residency program in Wesenberg. Here’s a summary of our inaugural residency period:
Cristina Álamo
Industrial designer from Burgos (b. 1998) began her residency with ‘Re-perceive and Un-saturate Ourselves’, weaving textile pieces from threads, branches, and natural elements to create sensory pauses. Her practice merges textile design and sustainability, seeking to reconnect with the tangible and essential while prompting reflection on our relationship with nature.
"These weeks have been incredible – both for the environment and the unprecedented time and tranquility I have to create. I feel deeply fortunate for this opportunity, which is enriching me personally and artistically."
Nacho Martín Encinas
Madrid-based artist (b. 1994) explores the interplay between inner and outer landscapes through ‘A Salt Lagoon Never Burns’, combining painting, sculpture, and text. During this first month, he created works like the humorous sculpture 'Bad luck!' and the installation ‘A Precisely Proportional Light’, contemplating faith, skepticism, and magical thinking.
"Working here feels like being on an island – but surrounded by forest instead of water. Birdsong blankets everything, and time becomes elastic. This gentle isolation and the residency’s beautiful setting benefit my current creative process, balanced with visits to Berlin."
Marc Mateos Monteagudo
Visual artist from Murcia (b. 2005) initiated "Unbild: Fragments of the Void" at Wesenberg, exploring image loss through analog photography, photolithography, and integrated painting/sculpture. His first month involved photographic tests in the park, leveraging the natural setting to spark abstract dialogues with fragmentation, uncertainty, and emptiness.
"I’m embracing experimentation, letting ideas emerge at their own pace. This reminds me why I cherish the creative process so deeply."
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Clockwise order: Works by Marc Mateos, Cristina Álamo and Nacho Martín Encinas
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CONNECTED MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS |
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The Pilgrim Museum, proposed by artist Cristobal Gabarron, seeks to extend the reach of the Cristobal Gabarron Museum in Mula, expanding our collection beyond the museum's confines to various locations. In this signature nomadic approach, Gabarron's work transcends geographical boundaries.
The Pilgrim Museum features 25 sculptures in its open-air park, complemented by a selection of paintings exhibited in the galleries of its art cent.
Located 100 kilometers north of Berlin, the Skulpturenpark Wesenberg museum offers a scenic setting.
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Gabarron Museum / Skulpturenpark Wesenberg |
Tao' Sculpture group installation. Cristobal Gabarron, Wesenberg (Germany). Photography: Rose Rongac
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Este museo surge a partir de un acuerdo de colaboración entre el Museo Cristóbal Gabarrón y Skulpturenpark Wesenberg en Alemania creado en 2014 por la Fundación Peter Wilmot Thompson, el cual funciona como lugar de exposición de una línea de más de 30 artistas internacionales. Entre los que figuran nombres de la talla de: Cornelia Nagel, Dr. Mig Dann, Johann Carrera, Fré Ilgen, Nunan Cartwright, Michael Cartwright, Jacob Cartwright, Solial Cartwright, Chen Xin, Zhao Hai Tian, Gevorg Tadevosyan, Wulfried Hengstenberg. Este acuerdo, firmado en 2023, establece la extensión del Museo Cristóbal Gabarrón de Mula que se adhiere como enclave para la elaboración de Residencias Artísticas del Museo Gabarrón en el Skulpture Park Wesenberg como continuación a la instalación del proyecto ‘Museo Peregrino’ de Cristóbal Gabarrón en Alemania
This museum arises from a collaboration agreement between the Cristobal Gabarron Museum and Skulpturenpark Wesenberg in Germany, the latter run under the Peter Wilmot Thompson Foundation since its establishment in Berlin in 2014 (Germany). It serves as an exhibition venue for a diverse lineup of over 30 international artists, including notable names such as Cornelia Nagel, Dr. Mig Dann, Johann Carrera, Fré Ilgen, Nunan Cartwright, Michael Cartwright, Jacob Cartwright, Solial Cartwright, Chen Xin, Zhao Hai Tian, Gevorg Tadevosyan, Wulfried Hengstenberg.
This agreement, signed in 2023, establishes the expansion of the Cristobal Gabarron Museum in Mula as an artistic residency enclave at the Gabarron Museum's Skulpturenpark Wesenberg. This extension continues Cristobal Gabarron's Pilgrim Museum project in Germany.
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In this section, we share a curated selection of recent highlights related to our Museum's activities and the work of Cristobal Gabarron.
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VISIT MULA COME TO ENJOY ART CRISTOBAL GABARRON MUSEUM
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Opening hours:
Tuesday to Thursday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Open for groups and school groups by appointment
General admission: Fridays: 10 to 14 h. and 17 to 20 h. Saturdays: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays and holidays: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. . Guided tours are also offered during opening hours to the general public. For this, it is recommended to make a reservation for the groups that wish to do so by writing to the following e-mail: museo@gabarron.org
Museo Cristóbal Gabarrón - Fundación Casa Pintada tel. +34 968.66.15.51 C/ San Francisco, 14 - 30170 - Mula (Murcia), España
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