- The play is located in the lobby of La Térmica Cultural and can be visited free of charge until January 5
- The National Museum of Decorative Arts and the Mining Culture Foundation have collaborated in the performance.
Starting this Friday, a singular work from the collection of the National Museum of Decorative Arts can be visited at La Térmica Cultural: the Franciscan Nativity, which the artist José Espinós Alonso painted around 1945. This sculptural ensemble, which can be visited until January 5, is exhibited to coincide with the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the first representation of the Nativity Scene, made by St. Francis of Assisi in Greccio, Italy.
With this initiative La Térmica Cultural aims to bring history and heritage closer to the citizens, connecting past and present through an enriching visual narrative and in an environment, El Bierzo and Laciana, where the tradition of the Nativity Scene resonates throughout both regions. In addition to the collaboration with the National Museum of Decorative Arts, for the presentation of this nativity scene has also had the contribution of the Mining Culture Foundation, which has provided the local coal in a clear nod to the territories.
The inauguration was attended by Sofía Rodríguez, director of the National Museum of Decorative Arts, accompanied by Yasodhara López and Concepción Fernández, general director and director of the area of museums, heritage and culture of the Energy City Foundation (CIUDEN), respectively.
Cultural heritage and shared universal values
The Espinós Alonso Nativity Scene is composed of fourteen iron figures that evoke the first recreation of Christmas that St. Francis and his friars made when, in a grotto in Greccio, a mountain village near Rome, they organized for the first time a living representation of the birth of Jesus. From this episode, which took place eight centuries ago, the tradition of nativity scenes was born .
In addition to the uniqueness of the material used, Espinós' work stands out for its focus on shared universal values such as human dignity, justice, peace and fraternity, qualities that Espinós masterfully captured in his figures. This sculptural ensemble commemorates a century-old tradition, connecting with CIUDEN's purpose of preserving, approaching and transmitting heritage through contemporary approaches that dialogue with our times.
About the artist and his legacy
José Espinós Alonso (Madrid, 1911-1969) is a relevant figure in 20th century Spanish sculpture. Renowned for his skill in working iron, his works combine the strength and minimalism of the industrial material with a modern, delicate and spiritual approach. The Nativity presented here entered the collections of the Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas in 1948, almost coinciding with his production, becoming an outstanding example of how Espinós elaborates popular representations through modern materials such as iron to re-signify tradition.
Among his most outstanding creations are the "Monumento a los Ángeles de la Paz" (1964), in Madrid, and the "Monumento a los Pescadores" in Laredo (Cantabria).
