Education plays a fundamental role in shaping a better society. We believe in the transformative power of education, which, like art, fosters dialogue, critical thinking, and the exchange of ideas. Yet today, there are still great inequalities.
At LAB36 we want to imagine a different future and we support initiatives that help to build a fairer and more equitable world. For this reason, we are joining the social project of Bahadur Social Project with the exhibition by Alícia Gimenoand Pau Escat for 24 January - International Education Day.
Who are Bahadur Social Project?
Bahadur Social Project is a non-profit association that aims to bring quality education to rural areas of Nepal by cooperating with teachers, families, government and communities as advisors to generate opportunities for progress and development in the most disadvantaged areas of the country, where they lack the means and resources to improve their situation.
About the exhibition by Alícia Gimeno and Pau Escat
The artists explain their connection with Bahadur Social Project and the exhibition that can be seen at LAB36 from 24 to 27 January on the occasion of International Education Day:
"Bahadur Social Project has always been a friendly initiative for Pau Escat and myself. We have known the NGO since its beginnings, we have followed its evolution with appreciation and applauded its achievements. That is why, when we were asked to collaborate with them, we gladly agreed. Their work focuses on promoting access to quality education in Chepang communities in rural Nepal, forming women's empowerment groups and raising awareness among families to reduce child labour.
We proposed to work on a small collection of work, pieces linked to Nepalese culture, which will help us to tell the story of the daily life of the Chepang community. To do this, of course, we travelled to Nepal. There, we will be immersed in their culture, learning about their customs and marvelling at the essence of the place. The inhabitants of Thumka welcomed us with effusive familiarity, especially the pupils of the primary school. An enriching and emotional experience that, together with the research work on materials and raw materials from the area, gave rise to the works in this exhibition that we have titled "Chitra Korne", which translates as the gesture of making art or brushstroke.
Education offers opportunities, opportunities make us free, and freedom gives us wings to fly.
Mixed media on paper
360 euros
"It is not easy to be a woman in Nepal, their freedom is curtailed in many ways, most leave school very young to be betrothed to their husbands, and so they have little power over the reins of their own lives. In my usual work, the lines flow more lightly, but in this composition heavy blocks are formed, large shapes with little movement which, forming a conglomerate of different textures and shades of black, envelop, imprisoning, reddish squares. The fragments of colour represent women in a society that finds it hard to change, they are immersed in a culture that evolves slowly. "
-Alicia Gimeno
45x35cm
Mixed media 670 euros
56x46cm
Mixed media 700 euros
"The colours, the smells, the human relations, traditions .... Our trip was a cultural shock, an intrusion into a world where nature imposes itself on everyday life. In this series, I wanted to highlight the particular and wild charm of a life linked to nature. My work aims to capture the atmosphere of a second through colour".
-Pau Escat