Modern Benidorm and that of memory come together in the new "Espai d’Art Urbà Hispanitat"

With a show of monochrome images of the boom in sun and beach tourism of the 60s and 70s in Benidorm, what will be the fifth Espai d’Art Urbà in the city, the ‘Hispanitat’, has opened its doors. An exhibition that combines the modernity of the renovated Mediterráneo Avenue, Hispanidad Square or Esperanto street with the black and white of tourists sunbathing and the first large buildings facing the sea.

The images that are exhibited in the Espai d'Art Urbà ‘Hispanitat’ come from the Municipal Historical Archive, managed by the Department of Historical Heritage coordinated by Ana Pellicer. "There are four lighting boxes with led backlighting - said the mayor - and a large panel of six square meters, also illuminated, on which we can read that promotional slogan, #BenidormTeEspera, which has united us so much since last March it will be launched from the Benidorm town hall and with the collaboration and participation of all citizens ”.

The mayor has highlighted that “with this new Espai d'Art we have converted into an exhibition space a key hydraulic installation for decades for the operation of Benidorm water network, integrating it aesthetically into our urban scene as a support for artistic exhibition; something that we already did years ago, from the youth council, through a contest, by taking the urban art of graffiti to various electrical transformation centers throughout Benidorm ”.

Pellicer has emphasized that in addition, with this Espai d’Art Urbà Hispanitat, the City Council “perseveres the dynamics, started in 2017, of promoting culture and bringing art closer to each of the neighborhoods of our city”. An action, according to Pellicer, "even more necessary given the health situation we live in, with restrictions in closed spaces like traditional museums".

Ana Pellicer recalled that currently, you can enjoy the creations of 18 Alicante photographers in three of the Espai d’Art Urbà. “In‘ Ponent ’60 images are exhibited taken in singular enclaves of the province and, of course, of Benidorm from El Castell, El Tossal, its‘ skyline ’and urban scenes. In ‘Els Tolls’, nature photographs. And in ‘El Carrasco’, portraits ”. To these must be added the Espai d’Art Urbà ‘El Pont’ which displays historical images of the city from the Municipal Archive.

The Councilor for Historical Heritage has encouraged citizens and those who can visit us to "have a good time" in these urban art enclaves and to "share" those moments and their snapshots on their social networks by adding #BenidormTeEspera. In addition, it has advanced that, from the Department, is already working on a new exhibition for the Espai d'Art Urbà Hispanitat that will continue to "combine the past and present of Benidorm" and in which modern artists "will reinterpret iconic images of our city" that "have marked the history of what is Benidorm now".