Amalia Heredia y el Jardín, aproximaciones, de Joaquín Cardalliaguet

From 1st to 30th March

In March Vicente Denis exhibits his paintings on the labours of Hercules: THE ATHLOI The labours, the works, the labours of Hercules. From 1 to 30 March it will be on display in the garden's exhibition hall.

The La Concepción estate housed two pioneering scientific institutions: the Botanical Garden and the Loringian Archaeological Museum. Most of the archaeological collection has been restored and is currently on display in the Museum of Malaga. A particularly interesting piece from this collection is the mosaic of the labours of Hercules. This mosaic, made during the Roman Empire, was found in Cártama in 1858 and was recomposed in the Loringian Museum, where it remained until 1939. The pavilion that housed the museum has recently been refurbished, and a reproduction of the mosaic is now on display.

Mosaics underwent a long and fruitful development in antiquity. Designed to last, they require such an elaborate technique that they condition the style and composition of the scenes. This technique, which oscillates between painting, illustration and sculpture, provides a pointillist, narrative and rhythmic effect in its texture that gives it a great plastic richness.

Thanks to the efforts made to recover this archaeological record, almost the entire mosaic can now be seen. However, since it was partially destroyed, to understand the scene in its entirety it will be necessary to delve into one of the most extensive and complex of Greek myths. The myth recorded by the classical Greeks seems to date back to a past that was passed down through an extensive oral tradition. The events and characters to be remembered were impregnated with the fantasy and epic nature of this tradition. Over time, different cultures have reinterpreted these ancient myths for different purposes, through various artistic disciplines.

The quintessential hero of Greek culture submits himself as penance for his acts of madness to the greatest challenges that antiquity could imagine. These challenges represented by terrifying fantastic beings, inhabitants of lands as remote as the underworld, have been widely reinterpreted. Starting from the graphic record of the Roman mosaic, the artist has sought to work, from the freedom inherent in art, with his own particular design and pictorial language, to compose a work that provides a contemporary approach to this story, so popular in Hispano-Roman Andalusia.

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.