Cover photo: Rose Rongac. © Gabarron Foundation. December, 2024 |
Looking back to thank you and propel us toward 2025 |
Dear subscribers,
As we step into the new year, we want to take a moment to express our gratitude for being part of the Cristobal Gabarron Museum community. Together, we have witnessed the transformative power of art to convey values, inspire, connect, and socialize knowledge.
In this newsletter, we reflect on the final months of 2024 and share highlights from a year filled with unforgettable moments. Visitors from around the globe joined us as we hosted exhibitions that sparked reflection, alongside programs and workshops that nurtured creativity within our community.
We are proud to have celebrated the 10th edition of Ambit with 'Ambit Gabarron Three Cultures, Murcia', an event that served as a prelude to the 1200th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the city of Murcia. Additionally, we successfully concluded the inaugural Artist Residency Program at Wesenberg, Germany.
This newsletter includes an exclusive premiere of three documentaries produced by the foundation, featuring the latest group of resident artists. We are also delighted to highlight the Queen Sofia Children’s Art Museum exhibition of #Kids4HumanRights finalists, which traveled to Geneva and Brussels, and participated in the OHCHR and European Parliament 'A Human Rights Defender' Summit.
Looking ahead, we are excited to announce the 2025 Artist Residency Programs, which will take place at the Gabarron Museum Sculpture Park in Wesenberg and at the La Bodega Space in the Cristobal Gabarron Museum in Mula.
On behalf of our foundations, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the artists, partners, collaborators, and friends who have been instrumental in making 2024 a resounding success. Together, we have created a unique space for connection and creativity.
With great commitment and excitement for 2025, which I advance that it will be a very special year as we will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the artist that gives us our name, Cristobal Gabarron and the 20th anniversary of the inauguration of the Museum in Mula by Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Asturias, now King and Queen of Spain, we wish you a very Happy New Year, full of art, creativity, collaboration, cooperation and friendship.
Thank you for your unwavering support!
Warm regards,
Cris Gabarron Cabero President of the Gabarron and Casa Pintada Foundations
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L-R: Diego Avilés, Marco Antonio Fernández, José Ballesta, Cristobal Gabarron and Cris Gabarron during the presentation |
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October 15th I Castillejo de Monteagudo I Murcia | Spain |
PRESENTATION / 'Ambit Gabarron Three Cultures Murcia' |
In its tenth edition, a tribute to the Three Cultures that coexisted 800 years ago, Ambit will be held at the region's new cultural hub, the Castillejo de Monteagudo.
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Documentary 18'. Luisa Aristazabal: Exploring Art in Vernacular Architecture |
Documentary 26'. Mayte Santamaría: Sung Strokes |
Documentary 22'. Livia Daniel: Activism in Art |
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October 31st I Gabarron Museum Skulpturenpark Wesenberg | Germany |
DOCUMENTARIES / Artists Residency Program / Wesenberg |
The residency program at the Gabarron Museum Skulpturenpark Wesenberg concluded with the participation of Livia Daniel, Luisa Aristazabal, and Mayte Santamaría, who have been creating and exploring innovative projects in this natural setting.
Following the completion of their projects, we have produced three individual documentaries that provide an inside look at the incredible experiences of these artists. After more than 20 hours of filming, we are excited to premiere the documentaries here. You can also visit our website to explore all the works and profiles of each artist, as well as those of the other participants in this first residency (Vicente Vázquez, Elena Bajo, and Víctor Ortuño).
Preparations are already underway for next year’s exhibition, which will showcase over 20 completed works by the artists. You can delve deeper into their projects on our website, with a summary available in the “ Connected Museum” section.
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Uni Dufour, Geneva exhibition |
Testimonies and presentation of the K4HR exhibition at Uni Dufour, Geneva, Switzerland |
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October 31st I Uni Dufour | Geneva | Switzerland |
EXHIBITION / #Kids4HumanRights /Geneva |
Uni Dufour in Geneva hosted the exhibition of the 75 finalist works from the international drawing contest "Kids for Human Rights" until November 20. This event marked the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the centenary of the Geneva Declaration on the Rights of the Child.
On behalf of the Gabarron Foundation and the Queen Sofia Children’s Art Museum, we extend our deepest gratitude to all the collaborating institutions: the OHCHR - Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Spanish Embassy to the United Nations in Geneva, the Ville de Genève, the University of Geneva - Uni Dufour, ALSA, and the Open Earth Foundation, for making this exhibition possible.
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L-R: Beatriz Rodriguez Unamuno, Eudald Carbonell, Cristobal Gabarron, Marie Klimesova, Rafael Barbero |
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November 6th I Fundación Caja de Burgos | Burgos | Spain |
DIALOGUE / 'Ambit Gabarron Atapuerca' |
The Caja de Burgos Foundation presented the documentary Ambit Gabarron Atapuerca at the Cordón Cultural Center. Following the screening, a roundtable discussion was held featuring Cristobal Gabarron alongside prominent figures such as Eudald Carbonell, Marie Klimesova, Rafael Barbero, and Beatriz Rodríguez Unamuno.
This unique cultural event explored the theme of "origin and consciousness" through the interplay of art, science, and culture in Atapuerca. The dialogue highlighted the richness and diversity of the cultural event in Atapuerca, where artists from different generations and disciplines collaborated spontaneously, creating a unique moment of connection with both the audience and each other. The discussion emphasized the importance of creative freedom, real-time interaction, and the magic of improvisation as key elements of the event’s success, which sparked emotion in participants and spectators alike.
Additionally, the event was recognized for strengthening collaborative networks between institutions and artists, underscoring the value of science, art, and culture as drivers of Burgos' international visibility. The serendipity that emerged during the event and its ability to evoke deep emotions through art were celebrated as fundamental achievements, inspiring further development of similar projects.
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Documentary 20'. Ambit Gabarron Atapuerca: Origin and Consciousness: Serendipity of Origin by Juan Alfonso Moreno |
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November 6th I Fundación Caja de Burgos | Burgos | Spain |
DOCUMENTARY / 'Ambit Gabarron Atapuerca' |
We invite you to watch the 20-minute documentary through the video link. Created by Juan Alfonso Moreno and produced by Fundación Casa Pintada, it captures the spirit of the artistic project 'Ambit', carried out at the historic Atapuerca archaeological sites to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Atapuerca Foundation.
Artists and thinkers from diverse disciplines such as Rubén Ortiz, Óscar Calvo, Joaquín García, Daniel Guantes, Irade, Tuco y los definitivos, the dancers from the Escuela Profesional de Danza "Ana Laguna", and writers and poets like Marina Aguirre, José Matesanz, Carlos Aganzo, and the archaeologist, palynologist, and thinker Igor Parra, joined together in this choral work, created in a setting of great patrimonial significance.
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3-minute short documentary by José Antonio Vélez |
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November 16th I I Castillejo de Monteagudo | Murcia |
AMBIT GABARRON THREE CULTURES MURCIA |
The Ibn Mardanís Palace came to life with Ambit Gabarron Three Cultures, an event that merged art, history, and diversity in a creative dialogue. Cristobal Gabarron led this gathering with the live creation of 'Three Echos. One history', a 3x9-meter mural that celebrated the three cultures that shaped Murcia's identity.
The experience was enriched by performances from the percussion group Perkilusionist, the dancers Candela Leal Prieto, Andrea Carrión García, and Daniel García, directed by Sebastián Gómez-Lozano, the troubadours Patricia Navarro and Emilio del Carmelo Tomás Loba, the poet Carlos Aganzo, the DJ and music critic Miguel Tébar (M. Lacroix), and the rapsode Joan Fabrellas. Additionally, the contributions of photographer Damián Lajara and audiovisual creator José Antonio Vélez (watch the 3-minute mini-documentary), along with producer and filmmaker Juan Alfonso Moreno, curated by Juan García Sandoval, completed a day where contemporary creation dialogued with the past.
In this context, science and archaeology also had their place: María Trinidad Herrero and her team documented, through advanced technology, the artist's neural activity while working; the archaeologists Carmen Martínez and Pilar Vallalta contributed their knowledge of the palace's historical context.
This event marks a milestone in the commemoration of the 1200th anniversary of Murcia, which will be celebrated in 2025, with the city founded in 825 by Abd al-Rahman II. This consolidates the palace as a leading cultural space.
Among the attendees were numerous authorities and personalities, including the Mayor of Murcia, D. José Ballesta, along with a large part of the municipal corporation, with Marco Antonio Fernández, Councilor for Decentralization and Territorial Backbone and David Campoy, Mayor of Monteagudo; the President of the Autonomous Region of Murcia, D. Fernando López Miras; the Minister of Culture, Dña. Carmen Conesa; Carlos Egea, President of the Fundación Cajamurcia; Luis Claudio Themudo, Minister Counselor of the Brazilian Embassy; as well as representatives from the areas of culture, education, art, science, and heritage of the Region of Murcia. Likewise, the event had a notable presence of members of the university community, including Maria Dolores García Mascarell, President of the UCAM, and professors from the UPCT, the Complutense University of Madrid, and the University of Murcia. |
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‘Three Echoes: A History’, Cristobal Gabarron. 3 x 9 meters. Acrylic on Canvas. ‘Ambit Gabarron Three Cultures Murcia’. Photo by Rose Rongac |
Special message from Maher Nasser from the Castillejo de Monteagudo in Murcia, on the occasion of the celebration of the tenth edition of Ambit.
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Maher Nasser, Director of the Outreach Division at the United Nations Department of Global Communications and United Nations Commissioner-General for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai (Japan), reflects on the profound impact of the GABARRON AMBIT initiative. He underscores the initiative's role in bringing together diverse art forms—painting, performing arts, thought, poetry, song and dance—at historic sites such as the Ibn Mardanís Palace, highlighting the cultural coexistence of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. |
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L-R: Lodovico Folin Calabi, Christina Meinecke and Cris Gabarron |
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December 9th I European Parliament | Brussels | Belgium |
EXHIBITION / ‘Kids for Human Rights’ / European Parliament |
On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, the European Parliament inaugurated the exhibition Kids for Human Rights, a showcase featuring the 75 finalist works selected from an international competition organized by the Queen Sofia Children's Art Museum of the Gabarron Foundation in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The event was attended by key representatives from the sector, including Christina Meinecke, Regional Representative for Europe of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Marta Temido, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights; Fabien Daudier, communication expert at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Brussels and coordinator with the Museum team; Ángel Carro, president of the Open Earth Foundation and trustee of the Gabarron Foundation in New York; and Lodovico Folin Calabi, head of the UNESCO Liaison Office in Brussels and Representation to the European Union, and its director of office, Oriol Freixa.
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December 31th I Mula | Murcia | Spain |
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS 2025 / ‘Artists in Residence’ / Wesenberg |
Applications are now open for the second consecutive year for art residencies at the Gabarron Museum Skulpturenpark Wesenberg.
Located just 100 km north of Berlin, the Gabarron Museum Sculpture Park offers artists a unique residency opportunity. Applications are now open.
These residencies offer an ideal environment for research and creation of artistic projects linked to the natural and cultural environment of the park.
📩 Application deadline: December 31, 2024 to January 31, 2025.
📝Submit applications to: wesenberg@gabarron.org with the subject line "Application for 2025 MGSP Wesenberg Residency".
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December 31th I Museo Cristóbal Gabarrón | Mula | Murcia | Spain |
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS 2025 / La Bodega Space / Mula |
The Gabarron Museum invites artists, curators, and creators to submit innovative and transformative proposals that explore new narratives in contemporary art.
Selected projects, distinguished by their conceptual quality, aesthetics, and innovation, will be part of the 2025/2026 exhibition program.
📩 Submission deadline: December 31, 2024 to January 31, 2025.
📝Submit your proposal to: museo@gabarron.org with the subject line "Exhibition proposal 2025 La Bodega Space".
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In this newsletter, we present two new mini-documentaries about the exhibition ' Les Dessins de Degas' by Damian Lajara and José Antonio Vélez (3' 48''). Due to its great success since its opening, the exhibition has been extended until February 2, 2025.
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The Cristobal Gabarron Museum is not restricted to the walls of its headquarters in Mula; like the artist whose name it bear, it is characterized by its nomadic spirit. The dissemination of our work extends beyond geographical boundaries, reaching different parts of our planet. |
LIASONS | Berlin, Germany |
Through our LIASONS section in #ConnectedMuseum, we're building bridges to the global art scene. By connecting with the people who shape it—artists, critics, curators, and more—we aim to uncover a diverse range of artistic perspectives from around the world.
Our museum is connects with the city of Berlin, Germany, where Berlin-based artist Fré Ilgen speaks to us from his studio in an in-depth interview. In this interview, we explore his artistic career as well as his facets as a writer and thinker.
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Fré Ilgen, born in 1956 in Winterswijk, the Netherlands, is a Berlin-based painter, sculptor, theorist, curator, and author. His extensive career spans numerous countries across Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Ilgen has presented 49 solo exhibitions and participated in 130 group exhibitions, including 19 in museums, and has been featured in 53 international art fairs and four biennials, notably the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015 and the 11th Cairo Biennial.
His academic background includes studies in psychology at the Royal University Leiden and fine arts at the Academy for Fine Arts Rotterdam, where he earned his BA. He later obtained an MA in painting and sculpture from the AIVE Art Department in the Netherlands.
He is the author of three books, as well as numerous essays and conference papers. His work frequently explores the intersections between art, science, and philosophy, reflecting his commitment to interdisciplinary approaches in contemporary art.
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CONNECTED MUSEUM | ARTISTS IN RESIDENCY | Gabarron Museum Skulpturenpark Wesenberg | Germany |
With the opening of the new call for artist residencies in Wesenberg, we take a look back at the most recent stays. During these residencies, six artists worked in harmony with the environment, exploring themes such as materiality, natural narratives, and dialogue with the plant world. Each project addressed issues deeply connected to nature, from conceptual perspectives to more material interactions. Below is a summary of each artist's project: |
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Inspired by the Eternal Return and cosmic symbolism, Bajo created The Forest of Freya, a work that explores the cycle of life and death through an emerging elm sprout, surrounded by panels of recycled glass that reflect and channel light and shadows.
This piece, situated under a canopy of linden trees, invites visitors to connect with 'phytosapience' and experience the space as a place of communion with the more-than-human world.
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During her residency, Livia Daniel continued to work on her recent approaches to painting, video, and 3D sculpture, incorporating natural elements that could be found within the context of the Skulpturenpark.
The pieces, which were the fruit of an intimate and familiar investigation, explored a poem by her father that she was trying to translate into an exercise in detachment and identity construction.
She was interested in that which was there almost as if we could touch it; we approached, waiting for it to reveal itself to us. It was like love, like seduction. It was therefore a matter of clumsiness, a gesture of concealment. Hiding what we wished to be seen. That it could be perceived that there was something more behind.
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During her residency, Aristizábal investigated local materials and their applicability in vernacular construction techniques.
Although she encountered limitations with the sandy soil, she worked with branches, jute, and watercolor sketches, exploring the relationship between fragility and resistance in ephemeral installations that evoke the memory of traditional constructions and their relationship with the environment.
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Mayte Santamaría's interconnected installations, Expanded Score, Sung Traces, and Being a Living Landscape, invite visitors to embark on a sensory journey through the Wesenberg forest.
By exploring the relationship between birdsong and landscape, she creates immersive experiences that encourage deep listening and a connection with the natural world.
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En Für die Dauer eines Tages und einer Nacht, Vázquez created temporary installations that invite a reconsideration of the park's space and its relationship with light and time.
His work emphasizes the interaction between objects and light, while a series of images allude to the possibilities of "another park," where nature and space are given new meanings.
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In her project "A Thing or a Node of Correlations," Víctor Ortuño experimented with tubular structures that act as channels between different points, connecting the human and non-human in an intercorporeal dialogue.
The work explores how materials can establish sensitive relationships and challenge habitual perceptions.
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CONNECTED MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS |
Siega Verde Installation. Tour & Taxis, Brussels (Belgium). Photography: Rose Rongac |
Five sculptures from Cristobal Gabarron's Siega Verde (Green Mowing) series are currently on display in Brussels, specifically at Tour & Taxis and the 'Migratie Museum Migration', until December 2024, now extending in 2025.
Inspired by the Paleolithic site of Siega Verde in Salamanca (Spain), recognized by UNESCO for its exceptional Iberian Paleolithic art, these works capture the essence of a prehistoric past that has fascinated the artist since his youth. The series reflects Gabarron's lifelong exploration of prehistoric themes, evident in other series such as 101 Stones, Prints, The Silence of Stones, My Epicurean Garden, and The Birth of Time.
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Gabarron Pilgrim Museum / Germany |
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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Museo Gabarrón / Sculpture Park Wesenberg |
'Tao' Sculpture group installation. Cristobal Gabarron, Wesenberg (Germany). Photography: Rose Rongac |
This museum arises from a collaboration agreement between the Cristobal Gabarron Museum and Skulpture Park 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 extension of the Cristobal Gabarron Museum of Mula that adheres as an enclave for the development of Artistic Residencies of the Gabarron Museum within the Skulpture Park Wesenberg. This initiative builds upon the installation of Cristobal Gabarron's 'Pilgrim Museum' project in Germany.
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Each month you will find in this section a work, curiosity or biographical information that will allow you to better understand and comprehend the life and work of Cristobal Gabarron. |
'Blue sea' / Oil on canvas |
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🖼️ 'Blue sea', mixed media, oil on canvas, 400 x 800 cm. 2002-2005. 📍 Exhibition 'The Image of the Body' at the IVAM - Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno, Valencia, Spain. 2006. 📸 Photo by Juan García Rosell
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‘Blue sea’
In this newsletter, as our #workofthemonth we highlight 'Blue sea,' a large-scale painting exhibited in 'The Image of the Body,' a retrospective curated by Donald Kuspit and presented at the Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno in 2006. This work forms part of a journey through the different stages that the human body has experienced in the work of the artist Cristobal Gabarron. The collection comprised a total of 186 works, between paintings and sculptures, reflecting the multiple perspectives of the human body throughout the artist's career. Gabarron approaches the human body not only as an anatomical entity, but as the most intimate core of the individual, from a psychological perspective. When representing the human body, he seeks to answer existential questions such as "Who am I? Why am I here? Where do I come from and where am I going?", as well as social issues such as brutality and injustice. . |
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Visits from Mula schools / Cristobal Gabarron Museum
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Visits from Mula schools, a necessary connection between art and education
These past weeks, we have had the pleasure of welcoming students from CEIP Florentino Bayona and IES Ribera de los Molinos. During their visits, the young students toured our galleries and discovered our current exhibitions, such as 'Les Dessins de Degas' and 'Gabarrón sin límites'. We are proud to open our doors to bring art and culture closer to the new generations and contribute to their education through history and creativity.
Thank you to both schools for sharing this experience with us!
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We value your input! Subscribers are encouraged to share their opinions, questions, and contributions with us. Write to museo@gabarron.org. |
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Lucía Martínez | Councilwoman of the city of Mula and professor at the UCAM |
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In this newsletter, we have the participation of Lucía Martínez García, councilwoman of the Mula City Council and professor at the UCAM. During her visit to the Museum, Lucía shares her personal connection to the Casa Pintada, a place that has been part of her life since childhood, when she lived just a few meters away.
She nostalgically recounts the restoration and unveiling of the museum in 2005 and the emotion she felt during the visit of Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Asturias for the opening. Additionally, she highlights the vitality of the Casa Pintada Foundation, a space that has hosted numerous exhibitions and events, and its commitment to art and culture in the community.
Thank you, Lucía, for your wonderful contribution and dedication. |
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In this section we share with you a selection of the latest news related to the activity of our museum and the work of Cristobal Gabarron in our current newsletter. |
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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),Spain |
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