The Museo Universidad de Navarra will be inaugurated on January 22 and 23 with various activities such as visits to the exhibitions, seminars, workshops with artists and educational programs, as well as two performances by the National Dance Company.

The opening ceremony, which will take place on the 22nd, will be attended by more than 700 guests, including personalities from the local and national artistic and cultural world, cultural agents, patrons, etc. The activities for the 23rd will be free of charge, as well as the entire first month of the center's activity, until February 22nd.

The Museum has presented to the media these events and the programming planned for 2015, focused on three areas: exhibitions, performing arts and public and educational programs. Jaime García del Barrio, general director of Museo Universidad de Navarra; Valentín Vallhonrat, representative of the Artistic Management Committee; and José Manuel Garrido, member of the Artistic Management Committee and programmer of Performing Arts, took part in the presentation.

Jaime García del Barrio explained that the artistic project responds to several basic ideas: interdisciplinary research, the accompaniment of artists -who will participate in research projects prior to the exhibitions and in residency programs in Pamplona-; training, through different programs; the application of research and teaching to museum practices and the contribution of artistic innovation to university practices; and the service to the community, first at the university and then in Pamplona and Navarre. "The Museum aims to be a bridge between the city and the University and to add to the artistic and cultural life of the latter," he said.

Exhibitions and performing arts

For his part, Valentín Vallhonrat explained the different exhibitions, as well as the public programs and educational activities. "It is a project of bases and origins. A program focused on the origins of the Museum, the collection, photography, etc.".

First, he referred to the exhibition "Composition and Expression", which includes part of the collection of Maria Josefa Huarte, donated in 2008 to the University of Navarra and which will exhibit works by Oteiza, Palazuelo or Tàpies. "A brief, intimate collection, linked to a specific moment without which the Museum would not exist," he pointed out. "It has a basic, core function, with a vocation of permanence".

The program will include two other photography exhibitions: "North Africa", which brings together 80 works by José Ortiz Echagüe and is co-produced by the Museo d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC); and "The World Upside Down: The Calotype in Spain", which includes 160 images, many of them from the Museum's own collection. There will also be two other exhibitions: "The Third Place", by Navarrese artist Carlos Irijalba; and "The Black Forest", a project produced for Museo Universidad de Navarra by Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle.

Finally, Jose Manuel Garrido referred to the performing arts program, which will begin on the opening days with two performances by the National Dance Company, directed by Jose Carlos Martinez. "Dance is going to be an important element in the programming of the first months, from classical ballet to contemporary dance," he pointed out.

Thus, the program will be completed with the performance of Trisha Brown Dance Company; and with "Control", a contemporary dance show by Javier Martín, which will have its world premiere in Pamplona. "We want to support emerging art. We want young artists to be able to develop their projects at the University and present them here," he stressed.

Music will also have its place with the celebration of the first edition of the "Cartographies" series, which will focus on 20th century music and will be held annually. It will include concerts, conferences, performances and colloquiums with the participation of the pianist Joaquín Achúcarro and the Budapest Strings Orchestra and Barcelona Modern Project. Finally, there will be a concert by the Youth Choir of the Orfeón Pamplonés and a concert by the singer Rocío Márquez and the pianist Rosa Torres-Pardo.