The Galería Octubre at Universitat Jaume I has inaugurated the exhibition 'In the sky, on the earth, in the unfathomable', an artistic initiative inspired by a verse from 'On the banks of the Sar', the final book by Galician poet Rosalía de Castro. This exhibition aims to explore the concept of mystery broadly, not in a spiritual sense, but as a response to everything that cannot be understood through reason.
Curated by Paula Carratalà-Ros and Saray Espinosa, the exhibition features 23 pieces from five artists who share a connection to the foundational spirit of the gallery. Most of the artists are linked to the Castellón region, including Casany from Benicàssim, Rossana Zaera from Castellón, Elisa Merino based in Borriol, Raquel Mira from Requena, and Gloria Rubio from Soria.
The opening event was attended by Raquel Agost, the Vice-Rector for Culture, Social Commitment and Equality, along with the curators and the gallery director, Juncal Caballero, as well as the artists themselves. In her speech, Agost praised the exhibition as a success and expressed pride in the role of Galería Octubre, stating that 'art, like other disciplines, is a refuge in times of turmoil and simultaneously maintains a critical spirit.'
The curators highlighted that the works in this exhibition convey their own language and, through various visual codes, invite visitors to engage with the realms of mystery, the hidden, and uncertainty. They asserted that contemporary art 'can be a useful tool for learning to coexist with uncertainty and what we cannot know or control.'
Among the featured works, Raquel Mira presents two sculptures and three paintings in acrylic and oil on board, depicting mysterious plant-like beings that blur the boundaries between humanity and nature, prompting new reflections on our relationship with the world. Rossana Zaera's piece 'The love letter' includes a message woven in braille, confronting viewers with an intimacy that is sensed but obscured by glass, preventing access to its content.
Gloria Rubio's eleven life-sized silhouettes, part of her work 'Vacíos del pasado' (Voids of the Past), evoke absent presences. Some are made from felt, while others are crafted from earth sourced from the area where they are displayed, stemming from an artistic research project on depopulation. Elisa Merino has created two series specifically for this exhibition, 'Sky and earth of deaf screams' and 'Topography of wounded earth', featuring images of bird-women dressed flamboyantly and a representation of a bird depicted as a caged chick, conveying a powerful message against violence towards women.
Casany contributes a visually dynamic piece that blurs the lines of figurative language by combining oil and graphite, where each charcoal stroke reflects 'our mistakes, moments of doubt and uncertainty'.
The exhibition will remain open until 17 December, with visiting hours from Monday to Friday, 10:30 to 13:30. A guided tour led by the curators is scheduled for 11 December at 11:30, and additional guided visits can be arranged by emailing sasc@uji.es.
