Gas Natural SDG : Fenosa Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC) opens exhibition entitled ‘Arquitecturas Negras’ by photography artist Rubén Panete

• More than 30 pieces by this young photographer from Galicia are coming to Barcelona for the first time.

• The exhibition can be seen at the gallery in the Gas Natural Fenosa headquarters in Barcelona (Plaza del Gas, 1) until 10 March 2017.

Earlier today, the Gas Natural Fenosa Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC) opened an exhibition entitled 'Arquitecturas Negras' by the photography artist Rubén Panete (A Coruña, 1979). The exhibition can be seen at the gallery in the Gas Natural Fenosa headquarters in Barcelona (Plaza del Gas, 1) until 10 March 2017.

Arquitecturas Negras is the result of various years travelling around the countries of Eastern Europe to take photographs of unremarkable concrete blocks. Rubén Panete does not seek the static on this journey but rather travels light in order to focus his attention on what truly interests him: creating a space in which to advance in the physical while thinking. Hence, he attempts to create links between the present, what belongs in the past and the possibilities to be found in the future.

Rubén Panete is bringing over 30 of his own pieces to Barcelona for the first time. With Arquitecturas Negras, the artist from Galicia converts buildings and houses into the focal point of his work as they acquire an almost sculptural presence. 'Featureless' or, at first sight, less attractive architecture captures his gaze, rather than natural landscapes.

Among the photography, video and graffiti in this exhibition, Rubén Panete includes a series entitled 'Europa', on which he is currently working. While maintaining the representation of the 'poor architecture of the European break-up', the photographer focuses on the human figure in his portrayal of their inhabitants, including the realities of migration and refugees.

GAS NATURAL FENOSA wishes to support and enhance the extensive activity of its Museum of Contemporary Art both in Galicia, which is home to this exhibition centre, and wherever the company operates in Spain and around the world. The goal is to export the wide range of exhibition options that the museum offers each year and to enable the works exhibited to be enjoyed by a whole host of audiences.

During the time that the Rubén Panete exhibition will be in Barcelona, and as was the case at previous exhibitions, the Museum will offer guided visits to groups and any individual asking for this service. Furthermore, a unique programme of social participation and education through contemporary art will also be launched alongside the work of this artist aimed at teachers, schools and people with functional diversity.

About Rubén Panete

Rubén Panete (A Coruña, 1979) is a photographer, visual artist, creator and art director. The time he has spent living in such varied countries as the United States, Italy and Germany enhances his interest in architecture, landscapes and urban planning. Since 2010, he has been co-leading and involved in the urban study project entitled Plattenbau: Arquitectura y Paisaje, developed in Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Spain and Germany, but based in Berlin. Coinciding with the first trips associated with this project, in 2009 and while living in Barcelona, Rubén Panete maintained a constant dynamic of roaming Europe: he is currently working on the post-conflict landscape to be found in the Balkan States.

In his work, he mainly uses installation, photography and video to question the status of the image as a form of representation and knowledge. It was in 2012 when he began to focus on the investigation of possibilities in the subject, expressed literally and in series, which has been exposed to natural erosive processes or wear stemming from industrial activities

The Gas Natural Fenosa Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC)

The Gas Natural Fenosa Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC) in A Coruña is a multidisciplinary centre for contemporary culture; a dynamic, flexible and open space that combines exhibitions with public involvement and participation. The goal is to stimulate artistic creation in all areas of culture.

Over the years, MAC has consolidated its status not only as an exhibition site but also as a meeting place for artists, art-lovers and the public, offering an extensive programme of cultural, educational, social and artistic activities that include temporary exhibitions, lecture series and workshops for schools and professionals.

Barcelona, 10 November 2016.

Press Dossier

'Arquitecturas Negras' Exhibition

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