NYC 25 Submission View

#315

España se vacía porque es una mercancía (Spain is emptying because it is a commodity)

Submitted by: Summer storm (Manuel Cidoncha Vaca)


The concept of "the emptied Spain" refers to a socioeconomic and demographic phenomenon that affects numerous rural areas and small towns in Spain: the situation of depopulation and abandonment experienced by many inland regions, especially those far from urban centers and with less access to economic opportunities and basic services. Affected areas often face a number of common challenges, such as lack of employment, aging populations, shortages of public services (such as health facilities or transportation), and loss of basic infrastructure. All of this contributes to a vicious circle that drives the migration of young people and families to urban areas or abroad in search of better opportunities.

Likewise, "the emptied Spain" not only refers to the loss of population, but also to the loss of cultural identity and the erosion of the social fabric that occurs when communities are deprived of their most valuable human and economic resources. A small town, Fuenterrobles, with an agricultural tradition, has witnessed the erosion of its identity and its landscape. Dedicated above all to the cultivation of vines, today he struggles to survive in a world that seems to have forgotten him. The exhibition "The Emptied Spain" challenges the limits of convention and is presented in this corner of rural Spain.

In an Apexart gallery, three women artists will converge to reveal their unique perspectives on this issue, offering an honest view of reality. A self-taught painter, daughter of this wine-growing land and bearer of its collective memory, captures in her work the echo of a past and a future that fades before our eyes. Alongside her, a visual artist born in Fuenterrobles, who left her hometown in her youth, returns with a reflective and sensitive gaze. Her work, critical of current political and economic structures, captures the silent struggle and contradictions of a town striving to stay afloat. Finally, a photographer from outside the region (from Benidorm, one of Spain's most tourist-driven cities) brings a curious lens unbound by the territory, finding in "emptied Spain" a mirror of distant yet intrinsically connected realities. Through her images, desolation and beauty intertwine in a poignant dance.

The exhibition does not aim to offer simple answers to a complex problem, but rather to invite the viewer to immerse themselves in the complexity of "the emptied Spain". From its historical roots to its ramifications in the present, each work is an echo of the causes, consequences and possible solutions of a phenomenon that transcends the local. Voracious tourism, excessive capitalism, the loss of identity and the degradation of the natural environment are intertwined in this tapestry of fragmented realities. "The Emptied Spain" is not just an exhibition, it transcends the artistic field to become a call to action, collective consciousness and the search for a more equitable and sustainable future. It is a testimony of human resilience and a reminder of that, even in the most forgotten places, hope remains alive in the hearts of those who refuse to give.