BGW. Paléncia vs. Serzo. Prellude to a III Escuela de Vallecas

Around 1927, Benjamín Palencia (Albacete 1894 – Madrid 1980) and Alberto Sánchez (Toledo, 1895 –  Moscow, 1962) founded the School of Vallecas with the aim of renewing Spanish art from within, in contrast to the avant-garde movements established in Paris. To do so, they drew inspiration from the peripheral landscapes of Madrid, exploring the wastelands and suburbs of Vallecas. This school aspired to create an innovative and avant-garde artistic expression yet deeply rooted in its context. Over time, other artists joined the movement, among them Maruja Mallo, who brought a cosmopolitan vision and incorporated elements of Surrealism and Cubism.

Serzo (Albacete, 1977), inspired by the work of his fellow countryman Benjamín Palencia, proposes a creative dialogue that explores the possibility of refounding the School of Vallecas, reviving the spirit of artistic renewal that characterised previous generations. The idea of a Third School of Vallecas has been in Serzo’s mind for some time. Through the works selected for this project, the artist speculates and envisions a series of interdisciplinary actions that pay tribute both to Palencia’s oeuvre and to the legacy of the historic Vallecas adventure