The concept of expanded field graphics, which refers to the evolution of graphic art from two-dimensionality into three-dimensional spaces, is a central theme of the dx5 research group (Digital & Graphic Art Research) at the Faculty of Fine Arts. This initiative includes projects such as 'The multiple that occupies space', which in 2024 will encompass three simultaneous exhibitions, a series of lectures, and public interventions in Pontevedra.
To deepen and project this line of work, the group has chosen to expand its reach through various exhibitions across Spain, as noted by its lead researcher, Ana Soler. 'Fringe', the exhibition promoted by dx5 at the Espacio Argen in Madrid, embodies this vision, featuring works from five group members alongside pieces from three invited artists.
“We wanted 'The multiple that occupies space' to expand and grow,” Soler explained regarding the exhibition, which is funded by the Xunta de Galicia through competitive reference group grants and is complemented by a programme of activities. Inaugurated on Thursday evening, 'Fringe' is curated by graphic art experts Isabel Elorrieta and Antonio Cervera, showcasing creations from researchers Ana Soler, Anne Heyvaert, Aldara Vázquez, and Almudena Fernández Fariña, the latter recently awarded the Galician Culture Prize. They are joined by researcher Carlos Fer and invited artists Almudena Lobera, Juan Lara, and Pedro Luis Cembranos.
The exhibition proposes “a journey through various forms of graphic expression” through installations, painting, contemporary graphics, drawing, textiles, and visual experimentation. The curators highlight that the title alludes to margins as “contact zones of contemporary artistic disciplines”. The pieces on display derive from traditional graphic procedures, such as transfer, repetition, multiplication, or transformation, and aim to shift these methods into new contexts and production forms.
Continuing this line of research and creation, dx5 members present works specifically designed for the Espacio Argen. Soler, for instance, utilises one of the most recognisable signs of contemporary visual culture—Google Maps location markers—to reflect on “how graphic devices participate in our experience of the world” in her installation 'Network of Immanence'. Heyvaert presents 'Horizontes', an installation constructed from a series of printed books displayed “open like infinite horizons on a large shelf”. Fernández Fariña employs brushstrokes as a starting point for a “reflection on pictorial imagery as a cultural construction and the potential to expand traditional painting boundaries through contemporary graphic methods”, as noted by Elorrieta and Cervera.
Repetition serves as a core element in a work that transforms the brushstroke into an “autonomous sign”, paralleling the theme of Vázquez's series 'Trajes'. The exploration of textiles as “a territory where tradition, memory, and contemporary creation converge to activate new forms of artistic research” forms the basis of a proposal that turns fabric into a space for reflection on the body and cultural heritage, according to the curators.
Additionally, Carlos Fer contributes 'Candeeiro', a hanging installation made of necklaces crafted from 3D-printed pieces that replicate motifs and ornaments from the Cathedral of Tui. Emphasising the importance of disseminating the group's research and “generating knowledge and dialogue with other researchers”, Soler highlighted that the exhibition, which runs until 15 November, is complemented by various activities. These include a dialogue with participating artists on Friday evening, a graphic concert titled 'Voices of Water' on 6 November, connecting Juan Lara's heliogravures with music from the ensemble Ars vocem, and a presentation on 7 November of 'Responsibilities and biocreative consciousnesses: Situated methodologies for imagining more-than-human communities', a publication coordinated by Soler and Antía Iglesias, reflecting on the fourth edition of the scientific meeting 'Art at the Edge of Nature'. On Saturday 14 November, Soler and Heyvaert will present 'The multiple that occupies space', a book summarising various initiatives developed in Pontevedra in 2024. The exhibition will also feature a limited edition catalogue, which will include a digital version accessible to the public. Furthermore, 'Fringe' marks the first initiative of a programme of exhibitions in various cities, with plans for dx5 members to present at the Domus Artium Museum in Salamanca in 2027.
