A Captivating Exhibition of Modern Art in Valencia

Thinking back on our recent experience with modern art in Valencia, we can not help but smile and melt in our seats. Captivating only begins to describe how it is more of an ‘experience with art’ than what we expected. But then, we did expect great things from this new installation in Valencia’s historic district, because the artists themselves are personal friends of our’s. It was our privilege and enthralling pleasure, to attend the opening of Angels del Buit by Carlina Ferrer and Encarna Sepúlveda. Get a sneak peek to see why you must experience this exhibition when next in Valencia.

When we arrived, we walked past the inner, open-aired courtyard to the sala Refectorio, which is essentially the ‘start’ of the exhibit. From there, it carries on into the second adjoined exhibition room, the sala Contrafuertes. We highly recommend making sure to go through the exhibit halls in this order, because it is meant to reveal that although they approach their creative process differently, they share a common value and ideology that supports their art.

Stepping into the first room, you’re engulfed in blackness. That is, the room is dark, except for the glorious glow illuminating from the installation’s florescent lights. Along the immediate left wall, glowing bright neon green, are the words of poet Lola Andrés, who is collaborating in this exhibit. They run down the wall directly across from the installation, which seems to face it like a vortex opening. And that is what draws you in. The glowing green lines of a tunnel, poised on a glass floor and seeming to magically extend infinitely into the glass wall behind it at the far opposite end of the hall. It felt breathtaking and energizing, all at once.

The room hummed and ebbed with a great vibe of excitement and child-like wonder from all the visitors. People were looking at each and giggling about how certain parts of clothing, shoes, even teeth and eyes, were glowing in the room. Yet the most popular spot in the house was definitely front and center before the installation.

We think back on it as looking down the vortex. By the end of the evening, we realized that to be in that space felt so peaceful and meditative. Getting a quick moment to chat with Carolina, she put it perfectly, “Think of being here with no one and having it all to yourself…“. And it was so true. Even now, we think about how amazing it would feel to simply be there all alone, sitting in front of the installation, just gazing down into it’s never-ending tunnel.

We know, we’ve really played up only one part of the entire exhibit. This installation portion was our favorite. It felt so experiential. Yet we also loved how it flowed into the exhibit in the second room. Here, various mixed media pieces were hung on the wall. These originals are what we think of as a mixed media, with a glossy smoothness to them and a sheen as they are on a poxy or glass of sorts. 

We loved how large several of the pieces were and the use of lines and geometrical shapes as the focus. It was even more exciting, that we recognized some of them from having personally visited their studio in Valencia, late last year. The ladies were so nice to have taken us there one evening to see their works in progress and it was the first that we heard of their exhibition together.

Attending the exhibit Angels del Buit is for us one of the highlights of living in the Community of Valencia. Personally knowing Carolina and Encarna has given us the best introduction to modern art in Valencia, beyond what we ever expected. It is one of our favorite travel stories, to recount how we first met them.

Towards the end of last summer, we rented for several days the amazing apartment the ladies own near the Torres de Serranos. We found it on AirBnB and when we arrived and they checked us in, we were so delighted with how kind and personable they were. Their unit is an amazingly remodeled 1-bedroom apartment in the 11th-century tower known as Torreón del Ángel. Historical accounts say that King James I signed documents there and possibly slept there. The unit is wonderful and we loved our stay there. Yet what we love the most is the friendship with Carolina and Encarna that we have now.