arts

The curator Lola Durán Úcar recreates, in the exhibition La Gran Bóveda de Aldeadávila (The Great Vault of Aldeadávila), the monumental work of the sculptor Pablo Serrano, who succeeded in harmonising nature and technology. Durán feels that now more than ever - with COVID-19 taking its toll - artistic creation is needed, because art can calm this widespread despondency. And she approaches the exhibit with this enthusiasm, so that the visitor can witness the commitment of its creator to the human race, its existence and its circumstances.

Spain and the Hispanic world played a decisive role in the independence of the United States of America, but it is a very little known fact, and historically this contribution has scarcely been acknowledged. This is why Iberdrola has been supporting Unveiling Memories, a project led by the expert historian on the subject, José Manuel Guerrero Acosta. We are chatting with him about the importance of rescuing this story, shared between Hispanics and Americans.

American independence was an event of great historical and political significance that led the way towards our modern western democracies. But little has been said about the contribution of Spain and Hispanics to this event, which was decisive for the colonists' triumph. Between 1775 and 1781, the Hispanic monarchy sent more than 3 million pesos (3 trillion dollars at the current exchange rate) in weapons, blankets, uniforms and loans to George Washington's army, as well as thousands of soldiers and sailors from Spain and from its American territories to fight alongside the rebels. Now, Unveiling Memories, a book and a website promoted and sponsored by Iberdrola, are coming out with the aim of recovering this shared Hispanic and American history.

Alicia Peral was beneficiary of the Iberdrola - Museo del Prado Scholarships for Training and Research in Restoration in 2013 and 2015. Today she is part of the Restoration Department where she once worked as a trainee.