– Advertisement –
OLMEDO, June 16, 2024 – The LibrA festival in Olmedo (Valladolid) closed its second edition today after four intense days dedicated to books and the arts at the CAE San Pedro and the Patio de la Merced. Javier Pérez Lázaro, director of the festival, highlighted the network of artists that is being formed around the event, underlining their involvement in the development of the rural territory and the opportunities it offers to the citizens of the towns.
Festival Development
Pérez Lázaro pointed out that the main objective of the festival, which is the meeting between artists, citizens and institutions, has been consolidated. “Now we have a roster of artists that is growing and forming its own LibrA network,” he stated.
The activities culminated this morning with a press printing workshop taught by artist Isabel Fuentes. Pérez Lázaro closed the event that began on June 13 with the presentation of the first ‘Indecible’ Prize to the architect Rafael Moneo.
Participation of Artists and Exhibitions
During these four days, Olmedo hosted artists of national and international prestige. Luis Moro, Castilla y León Prize for the Arts 2022, presented the multidisciplinary poetic, interactive and pictorial exhibition ‘In a place of the word’, which included poems by renowned authors such as Ana Bladiana, Elena Poniatowska, Mircea Cartarescu, Antonio Gamoneda, Ida Vitale and María Zambrano.
The CAE San Pedro also hosted exhibitions of books and paintings by Beatriz Díaz Ceballos, sculptures in the Patio de San Pedro, illustrations by Laura Montes, and unique pieces by Amparo Blázquez with her ‘Escriptum’ project. In addition, books and catalogs from the Caja Burgos CAB Art Center were presented.
Roberto Coromina and Aixa Portero transformed the interior of the CAE San Pedro with their exhibition ‘Scenes to look again’, highlighting the defense of the roots of culture in nature. Vanesa Calzada and Yolanda Martínez created a literary leisure space in the Patio de la Merced with ‘In the shadow of the letters’.
Talks and Workshops
The festival included talks and workshops, turning Olmedo into a forum for debate. The first day, after the presentation of the ‘Indecible’ Prize, the poet Jorge Riechmann opened a colloquium on ‘Arts and territories’. La Plumbing offered workshops for students from IES Alfonso VI, and Amparo Blázquez presented her editorial ‘Escriptum’. The day concluded with a conversation about arts and culture, led by Lorena Bodas and Beatriz Díaz Ceballos.
On Saturday, Isabel Fuentes taught a torculum printing workshop for children, followed by a dramatized reading of the book ‘Life is a game’ by Ultramarinos de Lucas. The day ended with the gathering ‘Arts in the town’, with the participation of several artists and cultural managers.
Exhibitors and Collaborations
The Patio de la Merced hosted various publishers and specialized bookstores, including Árdora editions, Escriptum, Fontanar editions, Ediciones Akal, Kalandraka, and many more. This edition, organized by A la labor cultural -Arts Projects for Coexistence-, had the collaboration of the Junta de Castilla y León, the Olmedo City Council and the Caja Rural de Zamora.
