SPAIN arts & culture's Spring / Summer 2019 Program

Artists are like magicians that help us come to grips with our individual and collective challenges in a tumultuous world. Engaging with a great work of art is a visceral experience that connects us to our fellow humans. Art and culture can therefore make an immense difference by shaping our consciousness and values about pressing global issues, spurring new ideas and much needed action on the problems we face.

Among them, water stands out as one of the most critical resources for human survival, prosperity and peace. This season, access to safe drinking water and sanitation as a human right will be at the core of our programming reflecting Spain´s major role and commitment to the topic and other related ones such as health and gender, through development cooperation. Together with the Cultural Institute of Mexico and key partners from Spain and the international community, we will attempt to raise awareness and create dialogues on how to address the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

2019 marks the commemoration of the eightieth anniversary of the end of the Spanish Civil War and of the exodus of many Spaniards, some of whom chose the US as their host country.

In recognition to their contributions to Spain´s democracy and to the countries they lived in, we will have a specific focus on the phenomenon of exile, memory and identity, intertwined themes, which are still very relevant today.

American museums with high profile Spanish collections remain very active. Two major exhibits will showcase Spanish master artworks. “Art and Empire, the Golden Age of Spain” will show a wide range of works produced in Spain and its global territories during that period at the San Diego Museum of Art. “Visions of the Hispanic World,” will highlight at the Albuquerque Museum works from Spain and Latin America drawn from the Hispanic Society´s collections.

Contemporary artists from Spain keep pushing boundaries and creating inspiring pieces for US institutions. Large scale public artworks designed by sought-after visual artists Okuda San Miguel and Jaume Plensa will be on view at Boston Seaport and Telfair Museum in Savannah respectively.

In the music spectrum, a selection of cutting edge emerging bands will take part in the South by Southwest Festival with the support of Sounds from Spain. Rising flamenco star Rosalía will perform at Coachella. Guitar masters, Ricardo Gallen and Pablo Sainz Villegas are also back in the US. Flamenco lovers will be able to enjoy today´s most talented flamenco musicians and dancers in New York Flamenco Festival and Albuquerque Festival.

Spanish Cinema Now at the AFI Silver Spring will once again present a selection of the latest and greatest films from Spain. To build up momentum, we will complement it with Spanish Cinema Now +, offering DC audiences an array of titles all year round.