Enlightened Universe

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary RUMSEY PLAYFIELD 路 CENTRAL PARK 路 NEW YORK

Brief Introduction

About the Artwork

Sculptures

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About the Artist

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Unveiling of Major Art Installation in Celebration of the UN’s 70th Anniversary The United Nations will celebrate an extraordinary event marking its 70th Anniversary as renowned artist Cristobal Gabarron unveils his monument entitled ‹‹Enlightened Universe›› in New York’s famed Central Park.

The monument is an interactive sculpture formed by a sphere and surrounded by a spiral of 70 figures -one for each oh the 70 years since the UN was created.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon will make opening remarks and will be joined by diplomats, UN officials, City of NY officials, staff, and global citizens. The event will take place in Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield, entrance on East 72nd and 5th Avenue. Visitors are encouraged to attend. After its display in New York, the artwork will be displayed in major cities across the globe.

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary

RUMSEY PLAYFIELD · CENTRAL PARK · NEW YORK

Brief Introduction

About the Artwork 1

Sculptures

Technical Specifications

Location

About the Artist

Support

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The sphere

The concept

The form -a sphere- and its diameter -6,371 millimeters (20'10 13/16")-, is a tribute to the Earth -its 6,371 kilometers (3,959 miles) average radius means a 1 / 2,000,000 scale- and is also a tribute to the 7+ billion people who live in It, their cultures, their languages, their beliefs, their thoughts, their individualities, their personalities ... that constitutes our spiritual universe(s).

The concept of ‹‹infinity››, of ‹‹eternal motion›› is almost a constant in this artist's work, who develops the icon of the spherical, the circular, even the spiral, in an iconographic vision of ‹‹life in multiple directions›› -essential theme in many of his series, such as "Circular"-.

The sphere has a powerful meaning for the artist: it is an element symbol of perfection that embodies the center where dwells the core, radiating the force that nourishes and moves the Universe. It constitutes the volume of the circle, which is the other component of the work, and together they encompass the idea of ‹‹totality››, of ‹‹orb››.

In the Earth's idea, as a representation of our world, the sphere is a container for both hemispheres that move between shadow and light; between yin and yang.

It is our Earth in which seas and continents are arranged.

In the celestial idea, the circle encloses the sphere creating an ideal concentric surface by which the planets and stars move. Let's say that the intermediate region between the sphere and the circle is the space where the events and forms take place, where order and chaos are born, the space where actions, relations, knowledge, etc., are favored.

Thus, the conceptual part of the work rides on four different pillars: The celestial concept as ideal surface, concentric to the Earth, on which the planets and stars can be seen in movement.

The terrestrial concept as a representation of our world; the Earth with its availability of land and seas.

The concept of culture as the space where actions, circumstances, relations and knowledge are developed.

The human chain Around the sphere we find a spiral formed by 70 different figures -one for each of the 70 years since the creation of the United Nations-, which joined in hand create a ‹‹solidarity chain›› tribute to the human values defended by the UN freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, respect for nature, shared responsibility, education and culture- necessary for coexistence on the Earth.

This 70 figures have a human scale - up to 2 by 1 meter (6' 6 1/2" by 3' 3 1/4")and represent all ethnicities, genders and ages of mankind. The spiral passageway, formed by the figures together holding in hands leads to the ‹‹sphere of light››.

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary

RUMSEY PLAYFIELD · CENTRAL PARK · NEW YORK

The concept of action as the right and balance among everything that exists.

In each link of the chain underlies the idea of the aftermath of disease, poverty, hunger, ignorance, war, etc., and how to find a remedy with the opposites in health, nutrition, education, peace ...

And how only the man who inhabits one half of the world, who is away from the ‹‹misery›› that invades the other half, is able to provide a remedy in the search of sustainability and habitability of the hemispheres. In the end, the chain strengthens, like the sphere, the iconographic sense of movement and exchange between the two hemispheres: light and shadow, power and weakness, yin and yang. It is the transience and fragility of an ephemeral balance.

Brief Introduction

About the Artwork 1

Sculptures

Technical Specifications

Location

About the Artist

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2

The objectives This ‹‹solidarity chain›› of 70 sculptures is a wakeup call to connect realities and people.

The concept of the cause-effect relationship

This art installation, for its own features and flexibility offered in its location, shows a great scope and degree of interaction with the public and even allows to expand the narrative of the work, gradually incorporating new dimensions related to global thinking.

The iconography of the three types of images -UN's human values, Gabarron's art, spectators' responses- symbolize, and certainly provoke, some reaction in the viewer's thought and interpretation.

This work is the best possible narrative axis for its symbolism, its scope and recognized human values to break the judgments that may exist about interaction and coexistence between the viewer and the contemporary artistic fact.

The artist exposes the subject in a large ‹‹enlightened sphere›› and a long ‹‹universal chain›› that surrounds it in a spiral.

The artwork itself is an excellent discussion, turned into an exhibitive fact, about the values that soak the organization's performance throughout history.

The reflection can be challenged or supported by the viewer, who responds with the imprint of his thought, reflected in a text or a drawing or a self image to be attached to any of the silhouettes that form the links in this particular chain or edited in the "Enlightened Universe".

Messages The needs of coexistence must turn around the opportunities.

Mistakes from the past should make us more lucid and stronger to identify the paths.

Individuals and institutions must walk together and create a fair space for development and progress.

Values and commitments are transcendental in society.

Mainstreaming is both the differentiation and the engine to solve the big challenges.

Let's think, reflect, prepare and undertake a change for humanity.

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary

RUMSEY PLAYFIELD · CENTRAL PARK · NEW YORK

Transcendence On the opening day of the monument, the artist and different authorities will create the first sentence or drawing, followed by all the people attending to the event to be screened on the sphere and on the web, thus opening up the interaction to the general public.

Then, the maximum authorities and the artist, along with representatives of other institutions, will invite the audience to start the first human chain, surrounding and emulating the installation's sculptural chain.

At the same time and on the same day of each week, during the show, a human chain will be created, pledging on the different values: freedom, equality, tolerance, ...

After completing the period of exposure in New York, the installation will travel through different UN cities worldwide, repeating the same program as in New York.

All the images, drawings and interactions between the artwork "ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE" and the people will be added and accumulated on the web.

Brief Introduction

About the Artwork

Sculptures 1945-1955

1945-1946

1946-1947

1947-1948

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary

RUMSEY PLAYFIELD 路 CENTRAL PARK 路 NEW YORK

1948-1949

1955-1965

Technical Specifications 1965-1975

1949-1950

1975-1985

1950-1951

Location 1985-1995

1951-1952

About the Artist

1995-2005

2005-2015

1952-1953

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Global

1953-1954

1954-1955

Brief Introduction

About the Artwork

Sculptures 1945-1955

1955-1956

1956-1957

1957-1958

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary

RUMSEY PLAYFIELD 路 CENTRAL PARK 路 NEW YORK

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Technical Specifications 1965-1975

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1975-1985

1960-1961

Location 1985-1995

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About the Artist

1995-2005

2005-2015

1962-1963

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Global

1963-1964

1964-1965

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About the Artwork

Sculptures 1945-1955

1965-1966

1966-1967

1967-1968

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary

RUMSEY PLAYFIELD 路 CENTRAL PARK 路 NEW YORK

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Technical Specifications 1965-1975

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1975-1985

1970-1971

Location 1985-1995

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About the Artist

1995-2005

2005-2015

1972-1973

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Global

1973-1974

1974-1975

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About the Artwork

Sculptures 1945-1955

1975-1976

1976-1977

1977-1978

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary

RUMSEY PLAYFIELD 路 CENTRAL PARK 路 NEW YORK

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1955-1965

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1975-1985

1980-1981

Location 1985-1995

1981-1982

About the Artist

1995-2005

2005-2015

1982-1983

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Global

1983-1984

1984-1985

Brief Introduction

About the Artwork

Sculptures 1945-1955

1985-1986

1986-1987

1987-1988

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary

RUMSEY PLAYFIELD 路 CENTRAL PARK 路 NEW YORK

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1955-1965

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1989-1990

1975-1985

1990-1991

Location 1985-1995

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About the Artist

1995-2005

2005-2015

1992-1993

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Global

1993-1994

1994-1995

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About the Artwork

Sculptures 1945-1955

1995-1996

1996-1997

1997-1998

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary

RUMSEY PLAYFIELD 路 CENTRAL PARK 路 NEW YORK

1998-1999

1955-1965

Technical Specifications 1965-1975

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1975-1985

2000-2001

Location 1985-1995

2001-2002

About the Artist

1995-2005 2005-2015

2002-2003

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Global

2003-2004

2004-2005

Brief Introduction

About the Artwork

Sculptures 1945-1955

2005-2006

2006-2007

2007-2008

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary

RUMSEY PLAYFIELD 路 CENTRAL PARK 路 NEW YORK

2008-2009

1955-1965

Technical Specifications 1965-1975

2009-2010

1975-1985

2010-2011

Location 1985-1995

2011-2012

About the Artist

1995-2005 2005-2015

2012-2013

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Global

2013-2014

2014-2015

Brief Introduction

About the Artwork

Sculptures 1945-1955

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary

RUMSEY PLAYFIELD 路 CENTRAL PARK 路 NEW YORK

1955-1965

Technical Specifications 1965-1975

1975-1985

Location 1985-1995

1995-2005

About the Artist 2005-2015

Global

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Brief Introduction

About the Artwork

Sculptures

Technical Specifications

Location

About the Artist

Dimensions

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary

RUMSEY PLAYFIELD 路 CENTRAL PARK 路 NEW YORK

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Brief Introduction

About the Artwork

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About the Artist

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E 72nd Street

Central Park 路 Rumsey Playfield

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary

RUMSEY PLAYFIELD 路 CENTRAL PARK 路 NEW YORK

Entrance 5th Avenue: Thru 72nd Street Inside Central Park: Thru The Mall & Bethesda Terrace

Brief Introduction

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About the Artist

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CRISTOBAL GABARRON, 1945. Mula, Murcia (Spain) With over 50 years of artistic expression, Gabarron now resides in both Spain and in the United States. Far from the aesthetic conventionalisms, of isthmuses or vanguards, Gabarrón’s work only understands life. The individual human life, and the coexistence and the development of human values, are the pillars on which his art and his personal convictions rest.

Gabarron has many milestones in his career which have made an impact on a global scale.

The Olympic Mural for the Barcelona Olympic Games (1992), the Encounter Mural for the Universal Exhibition of Seville (1992), the sculptural project “Atlanta Start” (1996), the materialization of the work “Hope for Peace” (1986), the Official Poster for the Millennium Summit and the Millennium Chapel (2000-2001) are important examples of such milestones in his career. His collaboration with international organizations, such as the IOC and United Nations demonstrate his fruitful creative period, which still remains today.

Cities around the world have embraced Gabarron’s vision with the displays of his public sculptures. Many prominent American, Asian and European cities have exhibited his works in popular streets and plazas. In addition, several towns have incorporated permanent large public outdoor sculptures which were handcrafted by the artist.

His paintings and sculptures have been just the same center of analysis within Retrospectives as dedicated by the Chelsea Art Museum, the IVAM – Valencia Institute of Modern Art, the Museum of Modern Art of Gdanks in Poland or the Niemeyer Center, to analyze his creation. In all of them, critics and historians of the stature of Donald Kuspit, curator and professor of New York University, have proceeded to make careful analysis and study of his career, abundantly laid out in published literature in recent years.

Selected Exhibitions 1964. Galería Castilla, Valladolid 1970. École des Beaux-Arts, Paris 1972. Galería Macarrón, Madrid 1974. Galleria Fiamma Vigo, Roma 1974. Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Santiago de Chile 1980. Galeria Rayuela, Madrid 1985. Space and Cube, London 1986. United Nations, New York 1990. Palais de l’Europe, Strasbourg 1991. Galerie Bodenschatz, Basel 1991. Tecla Sala Art Center L’Hospitalet, Barcelona 1992. American Sports Art Museum and Archives (ASAMA) – Daphne, Alabama 1992. Fundación Carlos de Amberes, Madrid 1999. Musee Olympique, Lausanne 2003. Guggenheim, Bilbao

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary

RUMSEY PLAYFIELD · CENTRAL PARK · NEW YORK

2005. Museo del Barrio, New York 2006. Chelsea Art Museum, New York 2006. IVAM – Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno, Valencia 2006. Hugieia Art Gallery, Belgium 2006. Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid 2006. Guy Pieters Gallery, Saint Paul de Vence 2006. Palacio Almudí, Murcia 2007. National Museum of Modern Art of Gdansk, Poland 2009. Mal Maison, Cannes 2011. Niemeyer Center, Aviles 2012. Bokrijk Open Art Museum, Genk 2012. American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, Washington DC 2013. ARTZUID, Amsterdam 2014. Shanghai Jing’an International Sculpture Park (JISP), presented by Purple Roof Art Gallery 2015. China Art Museum of Shanghai

Brief Introduction

About the Artwork

ENLIGHTENED UNIVERSE Celebrating United Nations 70th Anniversary

RUMSEY PLAYFIELD 路 CENTRAL PARK 路 NEW YORK

Sculptures

Technical Specifications

Location

About the Artist

Support