The Museo Universidad de Navarra receives Jorge Ribalta's photographic collection 'Scrambling'.
The artist portrays in a personal way the web of relationships and daily processes that take place in the Alhambra.
The workshops of the School of Architecture were the setting for the unpacking of 'Scrambling', the work that the photographer Jorge Ribalta has produced for the Museo Universidad de Navarra. The event was attended by the Museum's director, Miguel López-Remiro; the head of its Photographic Collection, Fernando de la Puente; and two of the advisors to its Collection, Valentín Vallhonrat and Rafael Levenfeld. Also in attendance were a group of students and some professional photographers.
Scrambling' is a photographic mural made up of 77 individual pieces taken at the Alhambra in Granada, which documents the web of daily relationships and processes that take place at the monument: the Alhambra's offices and workers, management and administration, maintenance, cleaning, conservation and security activities, as well as marketing, the programming of activities, educational programs, tours and guided visits. The work portrays the non-monumental side of the Alhambra and shows the artist's personal way of understanding the monument, and his intention to show how the monument "happens".
Showing the Alhambra at a moment when it is not seen
According to Ribalta, his work is based on two pillars: "on the photography collection that the Museo Universidad de Navarra has, which is a very important collection for the reconstruction of national history; and, specifically, on two photographs by Charles Clifford such as the Torre del Vino or Templete", both from the late nineteenth century with the Alhambra as a theme, and which belong to the aforementioned collection.
One of the most relevant aspects of the work is the moment in which it was taken, since the photographs were taken at a time when the Patio de los Leones was closed to the public. The paradoxical nature of the situation also responds to the artist's intention to show the monument at a time when it is not seen, as well as in a new form.
For Jorge Ribalta, making this work has meant many days of reflection and planning, eight days of work in the field photographing the monument and all the subsequent work of editing the message and selection of the 77 pieces, which represent only 5-10% of the total number of images taken by Ribalta.
The Museo Universidad de Navarra already has the work in its photography collection. The delivery is part of the program "Tender Puentes".