Vida vegetal at Espacio Marzana: A Collaboration Between Ana Román and María López in Bilbao
Contemporary art lovers visiting Bilbao can experience a collaborative project titled Vida vegetal at Espacio Marzana. Running from September 26 through November 13, 2019, the exhibition brings together the visual arts practice of Ana Román and the performance work of actress María López.
Situated along the Bilbao Estuary, the gallery serves as a platform for current artistic creation, and this project expands upon Román's previous exhibitions while establishing a dialogue between visual installations and live performance.
Exploring the Exhibition and Visitor Experience
The exhibition weaves together multiple artistic disciplines, utilizing botanical themes as a conceptual thread. Visitors to the contemporary space will encounter a multi-layered environment combining paper works, installations, theatrical performances, and video documentation.
Ana Román's contribution features a major installation centered on works on paper. Large-format pieces alternate with smaller drawings and cutouts against a large vinyl wall backdrop that evokes an architectural interior. The display incorporates references to the artist's engagement with the natural world, drawing from plants observed in her studio, local parks, and urban surroundings, alongside historical nods to early 20th-century avant-garde movements.
Complementing the visual installation, actress María López has developed three theatrical pieces explicitly integrated into the gallery environment. Functioning both as a backdrop and an active component of the exhibition, these solo performances—titled 15 minutos conmigo, La mesa de John Cage, and Vida vegetal—range in length and draw upon the overarching botanical theme. Additionally, a 15-minute documentary film by Martín López, capturing the collaborative preparation process between the two creators, is projected onto the gallery walls during the exhibition run.
For those planning to explore more contemporary art spaces across the city, you can discover additional local highlights and exhibitions through Musemap, or browse the full directory of Bilbao museums and check the what's on exhibitions to plan your next cultural outing.
