Amalia Heredia y el Jardín, aproximaciones, de Joaquín Cardalliaguet

From 2nd to 28th February

The artist Joaquín Cardalliaguet presents his works centered on Amalia Heredia, creator of the garden together with her husband, Jorge Loring, and her husband, Jorge Loring. The exhibition can be visited between February 2 and 28.

Fascinated by the figure of Amalia Heredia, a cultured woman with interests in botany, archeology and literature, the artist explores her life intertwined with the genesis of the Garden and the sociocultural context of 19th century Malaga. The exhibition seeks to “approach” her through “pictorial planes” that generate a communication between the model, the artist, the work and the viewer, thus completing the life cycle of art. The exhibition is organized by the Asociación de Amigos del Jardín Botánico Histórico La Concepción.

The historical moment that Malaga was living in those years, the culture in the high society of the time, the involvement and relations of the bourgeois families with the city and the citizenship, Amalia's own political and social activism, the characters that accompany them as contemporaries (friend of Canovas del Castillo and Francisco Silvela), are already in themselves, juicy narrative themes. We can add the drama that accompanies the family at specific moments and the figure of this special woman as a totem of energetic character. From all this, a solid and well-defined personality emerges with force.

The idea of using dolls to recreate the garden's history was conceived by the artist Alberto Martin, who has been putting together displays with Barbie dolls for many years. After studying a number of late 19^th-century photographs, mostly from the Silvela Legacy, he created a series of almost identical scenes using not only the world-famous Barbie but also Ken, Madelman and other similar figures. Sponsored by the Malaga Foundation and the Friends of La Concepcion Association.

The aim of this exhibition is to portray both a key period in the history of La Concepcion and the Bourgeois lifestyle of the time in a way that will appeal to visitors of all ages. All of the materials used in the displays have been recycled: bottle tops, sink racks, clothes pegs, pencil sharpeners, pin cushions etc. Each figure is dressed in a different costume and hat made from dressmakers' cuttings; the hairstyles, fans and parasols sported by the women are all unique and were inspired by 19^th-century clothing catalogues.

This exhibition displays period furniture in the room that housed the library of the Casa Palacio in the 19th century. The room can be accessed through a methacrylate tunnel to prevent deterioration of the furniture. This is intended to enhance the value of the elements of this space, which has allowed not only to improve its preservation, but also to generate greater artistic and cultural interest among visitors. Most of this furniture is part of the municipal heritage and dates from the second half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. Some of the most noteworthy are the office table of General Espartero, made of oak and of French origin, which served as Jorge Loring's own desk; as well as a mahogany chair that accompanies it. Another valuable element is an English Edward VI style mahogany corner cabinet with built-in bookshelves, display cabinet, table and sofa.