Repopulating Silences", exhibition of works by 2nd-year students of the Higher Vocational Training Degree in Jewelry, Illustration, and Applied Arts to the Wall

This year, the EADTarragona has reached an agreement with the City Council of Tarragona to make use of one of the rooms in this historic building in the Old Quarter.

Various proposals from the different educational areas taught at the Escola d'Art i Disseny of Tarragona will be on display in this space.

We begin with "Repoblar Silencis" ("Repopulating Silences") an exhibition of works by second-year students of the Higher Vocational Training Degree in Jewelry, Illustration, and Applied Arts to the Wall (Painting), which is part of "Derives," a project that is also part of "Pobles Mudats," an initiative promoted by the Diputación de Tarragona to reflect on and generate action around rural depopulation.

We understand the transformative power of art and how, through creativity, we can reflect on issues that concern us, in this case, the problem of depopulation and the territorial imbalance it causes.

Each student was encouraged to explore and investigate their own family history, their origins, and their roots. By sharing experiences and conversing with their grandparents, the young people gained a better understanding of each individual’s relationship with phenomena such as migration and displacement. The students traveled to the village of Belltall (Conca de Barberà), taking advantage of the fact that one of its residents is Joan Maria Minguet, professor of contemporary art history at the UAB and art critic. They also visited the exhibition "Tros de Dona" at the Terra de l'Espluga de Francolí Museum, with curator Anna Andevert, an art historian.

The works presented in this cycle are the students' reflections on the loss of community, the emptying of villages and the relationship with the territory, climate change, the disappearance of fauna and flora, imbalance, and oblivion. They are works of a pictorial and illustrated nature, both small and large format. Others, of an objectual nature, connect with more performative processes. All of them aim to express the urgency and the need to preserve the memory of human stories that connect us with the land, the landscape, culture, and life.

The "Repoblar Silencis" exhibition can be visited between January 14 and January 30, 2025, during the following hours:

• Tuesday to Friday: 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
• Saturdays: 9:30 AM to 8:00 PM
• Mondays and Sundays: 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM