Gabarron's Alhambra sculptures speak loud about cultural integration in Beijing

Spanish artist Cristobal Gabarron brings six of his Alhambra Towers to Today Art Museum in Beijing. [Photo/ECNS]

In lively colors of green, blue, orange and red, six sculptures of Alhambra Towers by celebrated Spanish artist Cristobal Gabarron are on exhibit in the open square of Beijing's Today Art Museum.

This is Gabarron's first solo show here. An opening ceremony was held at the museum on Friday afternoon, attended by the artist, Spanish ambassador to China Manuel Valencia, and director Alex Gao Peng.

"The relationship of an artwork with the environment is as important as the artwork itself," said Valencia, who is an artist himself. "So I think putting the pieces in an open square enables the audience to interact with the sculptures."

The six works are a tribute to the heritage of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. It has played witness to the cultural coexistence of Muslims and Christians for centuries.

Its earliest history dates back to the 9th century as a small fortress. It was later rebuilt with a complex of surrounding buildings in the 11th century by the Moorish emir Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar of the Emirate of Granada, and converted into a royal palace in the 13th century. The arrival of the Catholic monarchs brought new structures to it such as the Palace of Charles V. The result is an architectural symbiosis that is unique in the world.