LABoral celebrates three years of activity

Press release March 31, 2010
LABoral celebrates three years of activity
The international presence and the growing support of
the Asturian public is consolidated as El Centro de Arte y
Creación Industrial in Gijón celebrates its third
anniversary.
SUMMARY
Inaugurated on March 30, 2007, by the President of the Principality
of Asturias, Vicente Álvarez Areces, and the then-Minister of Culture,
Carmen Calvo, as an interdisciplinary space intended to foster artistic
exchange and promote the relation between art, science, technology,
industry and society, El Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial in Gijón
celebrated three years of activity this Tuesday.
During this period, LABoral has consolidated its activity and its
international presence in a two-fold way: as an exhibition centre and
a space dedicated to education, research, production and
dissemination of new forms of art and industrial creation. At the same
time, the support of the Asturian public has continually grown.
LABoral has shown itself to be a timely and necessary project for the
digital era. In fact, Asturias is ahead of its time, having created a new
kind of centre, one whose concept and areas of activity are being
reproduced in other spaces that are popping up in various places
across Spain, such as is Catalonia and Madrid.
The Project arose as an initiative of the Government of the
Principality of Asturias that, in 2005, established La Fundación La
Laboral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial, with the intention of
strengthening the domain of technological culture as part of its
strategy to design alternative models of the future for Asturias, as well
as to continue advancing in the development of the Knowledge
Society. La Fundación is a prívate, cultural, non-profit educational
organisation, comprised of important public and private bodies.
Faithful to the Programmatic Axes laid out in its Strategic Plan,
LABoral’s activites deal with every kind of question related to the new
paradigms of the digital era, the perception of territory, ecology and
sustainability, equal rights amongst genders and the citizenry and
new narratives that show the preeminence of the image in the new
languages and codes used by artists.
1
LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial
Los Prados, 121. 33394 Gijón - Asturias. T. +34 985 185 577. F. +34 985 337 355
info@laboralcentrodearte.org _ www.laboralcentrodearte.org
Relevant data
35 exhibitions, in which have been shown 670 works of art by 537
artists and collectives from Spain and abroad during the three years
of LABoral’s existence.
• In this period, El Centro de Arte has produced 73 works of art of
which 28 are creations by Asturian artists.
• In addition, from March 30, 2007, to December 31, 2009, a total of
545,338 people have participated in various activities organised by
LABoral in its five areas of activity: Exhibition, Education, Research,
Production and Mediation.
• In its three years of activity, nearly 15,000 people have participated
in the workshops, courses and seminars organised within the
Educational Programme intended for a general public, artists,
professionals and university students.
• LABoral’s activities have had a wide national and international
impact through the 9,990 appearances in over 1,000 radio
broadcasts, newspapers, television channels, specialised magazines
and digital media. In the year 2009 alone, an estimated audience of
756.4 million people was reached through the communication media.
• A vital communication element with the public has been the centre's
web page www.laboralcentrodearte.org which in this period received
302,340 visits and 1,721,974 pages were sent.
• LABoral signed agreements with nearly 90 public and private
organisations of a cultural as well as an academic or social nature,
with the goal of sharing experience and knowledge. 46 are in Asturias
and the rest from Spain and around the world. LABoral has worked
with 359 Asturian suppliers while carrying out its activities.
• Concerning technical equipment, in the three years that El Centro
de Arte has been in operation, the network has been redesigned to
include new and updated systems, optimizing the existing equipment
and installing new ones, such as the wifi zone.
• Different systems have also been installed: information
management, inventory, maintenance, cost control, electronic
questionnaires, an agenda and net announcements, the Asturian
Artists Archive, the Archive_Mediatheque, Visitor controls and space
management.
• In these three years, LABoral has increased the resources at its
disposal to serve the public: Platform Zero_ LABoral Production
Centre, the Mediatheque_Archive, MathsLAB: Mathematics and
Creativity workshop and the Chill-out zone. These were added to the
LABshop, which was open when the centre was inaugurated.
2
LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial
Los Prados, 121. 33394 Gijón - Asturias. T. +34 985 185 577. F. +34 985 337 355
info@laboralcentrodearte.org _ www.laboralcentrodearte.org
LEARN MORE
Exhibition
LABoral produced a total of 35 exhibitions in which 31 curators
selected more than 670 works of art by 537 artists and collectives. Of
these, 97 were from Asturias. The exhibitions were noteworthy for the
quality of the works exhibited, the analyses of the curators and the
standards of quality demonstrated in the exhibitions' assembly and
presentation.
When staging the exhibitions, LABoral works in close collaboration
with architects, which firmly links this creative industry with the
activities of El Centro, while offering a museography in accordance
with the curatorial discourse.
Every exhibition has been thoroughly documented in text and in
photographs in the published catalogues that also feature essays
written by experts on the subject matter of the exhibitions.
Education
Every exhibition has also featured round table discussions, symposia
and workshops that favour dialogue with the public and that
stimulate debate and reflection on the relationship of society with
today's technological culture.
LABoral held 92 workshops and 17 theoretical gatherings directed by
200 instructors. A total of 14,933 people from Asturias, Spain and
around the world participated in the various activities.
The workshops - intended for professionals, students, families and
children - were designed to be a programme parallel to the
exhibitions, always keeping in mind the specific needs of the
professional and creative local community. Emphasis has been placed
upon education and the use of free open code software for creative
ends.
Research
LABoral's research is mainly carried out through cReaTic, the
Laboratory for Creativity and Technological Research, which provides
the methods and means needed to stimulate technological research as
an impetus for social and economic progress. Furthermore, cReaTic is
a decided move in support of talent, art, science, technology and
innovation in an environment in which young researchers carry out
their ideas in collaboration with renowned businesses and research
organisations.
It is an initiative of La Fundación CTIC, promoted by LABoral Centro
de Arte, and which counts on the economic support of Alcoa, Arcelor,
CajaAstur and the Government of the Principality of Asturias. It is
meant for renowned businesses that are clearly in support of
3
LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial
Los Prados, 121. 33394 Gijón - Asturias. T. +34 985 185 577. F. +34 985 337 355
info@laboralcentrodearte.org _ www.laboralcentrodearte.org
innovation and that are actively involved in encouraging creativity,
capable of sustaining a global vision of their services and products. It
is meant for research organisations that will upon cReaTic as a
synergy: where young and talented inventors will have the chance to
share their knowledge and discoveries, to express their creativity and
carry out their ground-breaking technological projects, capable of
competing in the global market place.
LABoral receives the support of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and
Commerce as part of Plan Avanza: a plan to establish a flexible and
expandable multimedia environment that contributes to collective
memory; which - directly or indirectly - strengthens the public's
participation in the social and cultural life of their neighbourhood /
city / territory. LABoral's research area also works on making the
network a catalyst of social relations that help us get to know our
neighbours. Consequently, it strengthens the community and one's
sense of belonging to it.
Production
In its first three years, LABoral produced a total of 73 works of art
amongst which 28 were by Asturian artists - both for exhibitions and
limited edition art objects available at the LABshop.
This year saw the inauguration of Platform Zero _LABoral Production
Centre: a centre for production, artistic research, consultancy,
innovation and training. It is a place for experimentation with audio,
video, light, electronics, data processing, computer vision and
videogames.
Likewise, El Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial has awarded two
artistic production grants for artists in Asturias under 45 years of age,
thereby fomenting amateur projects in the field of artistic creation.
Public Programme
Fitting in with the rest of the project, LABoral works towards the
cultural dissemination of new artistic practices and creative industries
that mainly use technological media. In this regard, El Centro de Arte
organised a total of 6 festivals, 29 concerts, 12 film series, 6 theatre
series, 9 awards and 23 activities intended for the various users of and
visitors to the centre, including also planned events for children and
families on the weekend
Institutional relations
In everything it does, El Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial in Gijón
maximises collaborative networking. This is why it has signed
collaboration agreements with nearly 90 public and private
organisations of a cultural, academic and social character, in the
interest of fostering a society dedicated to creative and innovative
ways to occupy their time. Of these, 46 are based in Asturias, 19 in
Spain and the other 19 abroad. Most notably, LABoral has agreements
4
LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial
Los Prados, 121. 33394 Gijón - Asturias. T. +34 985 185 577. F. +34 985 337 355
info@laboralcentrodearte.org _ www.laboralcentrodearte.org
with: ZKM Center for Art and Media (Germany), Ars electronica
(Austria), IMAL. Center for Digital Cultures and Technology
(Belgium) and Eyebeam, Museum of the Moving Image,
Massachussets Institute of Technology (USA), to only mention a few.
The agreements signed between LABoral, the University of Oviedo
and a Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) are worthy of special
mention for their pioneering character. Through co-organised courses
and seminars, the three institutions propose to establish "a dynamic
environment in which artists, researchers, teachers and critics work
in connection with wide audiences. The goal is to connect the
University with immediate and daily reality, searching for
participative educational models that introduce the public to the
latest trends in artistic creation."
In addition, in carrying out its activities, El Centro de Arte has worked
with 359 Asturian businesses, also having dealt with 245 suppliers
from the rest of Spain and abroad.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Visitors
Between March 30, 2007, and December 31, 2009, a total of 545,338
people participated in the various events organised by LABoral in the
five areas of its activity: Exhibition, Education, Research, Production
and Mediation.
Some of the exhibitions that LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación
Industrial have produced and inaugurated in Gijón have been sent to
other centres both in Spain and abroad. Such was the case with
Emergentes, which was shown in numerous Latin American
countries, Auto. Sueño y materia, coproduced with CAM2: Centro de
Arte 2 de Mayo and shown in its Madrid installations, banquete,
nodos y redes, also exhibited in one of today's most important art
centres, ZKM (Karlsruhe, Germany ) and Crisálidas by Asturian artist
Fernando Gutiérrez, which was shown in El Centro Párraga in
Murcia.
El Centro has also organised Public Art Interventions/Live art
actions. Most mentionable: the two phases of the Asturian artist
exhibition Extensiones-Anclajes, with pieces in 12 locations
throughout Asturias, the inaugural workshop Led-Throwies and the
work of art Bump from the Playware exhibition. In 2008, LABoral
offered to the public a performance by artist Gordan Savicic in Gijón
as part of the exhibition Homo Ludens Ludens and the LABacción
festival.
Regional, national and international impact in the media
The impact in the communication media has increased year by year.
In 2009, LABoral reached an estimated audience of 756.4 million
people through printed, radio, television and digital media. Thisd is
5
LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial
Los Prados, 121. 33394 Gijón - Asturias. T. +34 985 185 577. F. +34 985 337 355
info@laboralcentrodearte.org _ www.laboralcentrodearte.org
comparison with the 447.1 million people reached in 2008: a 69%
increase.
Publications in Asturias, the rest of Spain and abroad have echoed the
activities going on at the art centre through their critiques of
exhibitions, reviews of programming schedules or reports on their
own field of investigation.
The following have made numerous mentions of LABoral: ABC, El
Mundo, El País, La Razón, La Vanguardia, amongst other national
press and specialised publications such as A Mínima, Art Notes, Arte
Contexto, Arte y Parte, Auto Bild, Cahiers du Cinema, Descubrir el
Arte, Diseñart, Exit, Neo2, Nuevo Estilo or On Diseño.
Internationally, other prestigious publications that have brought the
name of Gijón and its Centro de Arte to various countries and have
praised its work: ArtForum, Art News, Art Review, Arte Giorgio
Mondadori, Clarín, Exibart, L'Expresso, Flash Art, Frame, Frieze,
Forbes, Kunstzeitung, La Nación, Libération, Neural, Newsweek and
Segno, amongst others.
Resources
Over these three years, LABoral has accumulated different kinds of
resources placed at the disposal of the public.
Platform Zero_LABoral Production Centre, a multi-purpose space used
as a centre for production, artistic research, innovation and training.
Mediatheque_Archive, inaugurated on March 2, 2010, this
documentation centre offers access to bibliographical, printed and
visual material as well as to audiovisual records of the most
experimental works of contemporary creation and culture, with
special emphasis in the field of art-science-technology. It is open to
both experts and the general public.
MathsLAB, an open, suggestive, playful and interactive space that lead
to experimentation and learning. Mathematics, technology and the
image help develop creativity in the space to be opened on April 8.
Chill-out zone, designed by the Asturian architect studio
Longo+Roldán, sets up a rest area open to experimentation and
enjoyment, a place for playing and relaxing or taking a break while
visiting the exhibitions at the centre.
LABshop, where the visitor to LABoral can find a large variety of
books on art and new technologies or acquire the latest publications
on the market or limited edition art objects.
The Board of Patrons
The Board of Patrons is the supreme governing, representative and
administrative body of La Fundación that carries out the functions
appropriate to it, within the limits of the Statutes and according to the
applicable laws.
President
Jesús Manuel Hevia-Aza (Until December 29, 2008)
Mercedes Álvarez González, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the
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LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial
Los Prados, 121. 33394 Gijón - Asturias. T. +34 985 185 577. F. +34 985 337 355
info@laboralcentrodearte.org _ www.laboralcentrodearte.org
Principality of Asturias
First vice-president: Jorge Fernández León, representing the Principality
of Asturias
Second vice-president: Nicanor Fernández, representing HC Energía
Secretary: José Pedreira Menéndez
Members of the Board
Juan Cueto Alas and Agustín Tomé Fernández,
representing the Principality of Asturias
Ministry of Culture
Gijón City Hall
Autoridad Portuaria
Caja de Ahorros de Asturias
Fundación Telefónica
Sedes
Strategic Corporate Members
Alcoa (2008. Project: Laboratory for Creativity and Technological
Research. cReaTic)
Associate coprorate members
Dragados
Duro Felguera
FCC
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LABoral Centro de Arte y Creación Industrial
Los Prados, 121. 33394 Gijón - Asturias. T. +34 985 185 577. F. +34 985 337 355
info@laboralcentrodearte.org _ www.laboralcentrodearte.org