Activities, exhibitions and projects

Azkuna Zentroa presents the exhibition Acromática. Una partida inmortal by artist Mabi Revuelta (Bilbao, 1967) curated by Susana Blas (Madrid, 1969), contemporary art curator and historian.

Mabi Revuelta’s works reflect on universal topics present in her works since she started out, i.e. real-fictitious relationships, the permeability of genres (literature, performing arts, sculpture, drawing, audio-visual arts), research into artistic education and the search for teaching strategies to assess the artistic deed as a driving force of social change.

Taking chess as the guiding thread, the exhibition reviews the artist’s career and presents Acromática, her unpublished project that gives title to the exhibition. The journey begins in a first space (Apertura / Opening) housing the installation Naturaleza muerta con perlas negras (still life with black pearls), a reviewed sculptural piece which sets the poetic tone of the exhibition. In the second space (Medio juego / mid-game), the diverse works that make up the project Acromática have been inspired by one of the most artistic chess games in history, namely, the Immortal Game, disputed between Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky in 1851. Finally, in the last space (Fin de partida / Endgame) we have Línea del Tiempo (Timeline), a summary of the artist’s career inspired in the four eras of chess, i.e. romantic, scientific, hyper-modern and dynamic.

To quote Mabi Revuelta, “in the Acromática series of works I insistently return to the universe of games, in this case taking chess and its special set of rules and movements as my inspiration. Over a reduced two colour field we view the immense serious deployment of world order and destiny of beings and things. Through sculpture, film, contemporary dance, music and writing, I try to create a story about the king of games going beyond the limits of the same, articulated from artistic, intellectual, bellicose and vital metaphors.”

According to curator Susana Blas, “the anthological section reviews the artist’s career and divides her work up into four categories which define the eras of chess history. These categories are also four ways of playing and tackling this universal discipline.”