The Art Asociation Polopos connects, attracts and inspires individuals and organizations to revitalize the community and the village of Polopos by virtue of the arts.
‘If you build it, they will come,’ is an often heard quote from the 1989 Kevin Costner movie Field of dreams. It has become a business mantra meaning that you first have to invest in something, before you can expect people to come. The municipality made an investment in the future of Polopos by allowing a Dutch tv-channel to record Het Spaanse Dorp: Polopos in 2019, but with this we are only halfway there. It put Polopos on the map for Dutch tourists, but with every year that goes by, more and more it is something from the past. What Polopos needs is a reason for people to come, now and in the future. AAP has set up a concrete and ambitious program to achieve just that.
We helped the Netflix production team with their production of a Chicas del Cable trailer in Polopos.
Pop-up Polopos Art Walk
Artist Gea Karhoff shows mayor of Polopos Matias Gonzalez Braos, his wife Ana and Thysa Zevenbergen and Wijnand Boon of the Polopos Art Center her graphical artwork.
In 2019 Thysa and Wijnand organised the first edition of Pop-up Polopos, an art walk around Polopos with 7 pop-up galleries where 30 artists from the region exhibited their work. With over 600 visitors it was a definite success and all the participating artists and everyone in the village agreed that this was an event that required follow-up. COVID19 prevented this from happening for two years, but this year we can finally press on and organise the second edition. With this annual event our aim is that Polopos will be known by people in the region for its artistic ambitions and achievements. We are looking forward to deepening our partnership with other art associations in the region like the ANA, La Fabrica and Rodalquilarte, and expand our horizon to organisations in Motril and Granada.
Artists in Residence
We want to see more artists come and work in Polopos. It would be great to see artists buy or rent houses to come and live here indefinitely, but this will not be possible or desirable for every artist. With our Artist in Residence program we give artists the opportunity to be part of our community and work in the village for a certain period of time. Casa 3 has already welcomed several artists of which some have come back and are thinking of buying a house in Polopos. The ultimate ambition is to host 12 artist residencies per year in which they create an artwork for the village and/or deliver a workshop.
Regular exhibitions
Casa 3 is in the process of opening their art gallery. Artworks from artists in residence and from artists from the region will be displayed here in rotating fashion. There is also the possibility once the restaurant opens to have art on display there. Rene and Esther, who are hoping to be able to start with the restaurant this summer, have already indicated that they are interested in a collaberation. Art associations like ANA and La Fabrica have regular thematic expositions. We will seek to have (part) of those exhibitions take place in Polopos also.
Monthly concerts
Music is a very accessible art form that most people enjoy. Oliver has offered his twenty years experience of running festivals and venues with curating and co-programming to help them on their way. At a later stage, the ambition is to develop a music festival for the village, focused on world cultures – a boutique festival/environmentally friendly. We will work with and through the ayuntamiento to obtain the necessary permissions.
Public works of art in Polopos
We ask artists that participate in the artist in residency program to give workshops and/or create and donate a work of art in the public domain. This could be in the form of for instance street art, sculptures, sound-art, projections or murals. Several residents have already shown interest in having artwork created on a piece of wall that they own. With the creation of any artwork, we will always make sure that nothing is done against any regulations and we will seek permission from the municipality in case we have a public space in mind.
Workshops
Workshops as part of the artist residency are mandatory for all participating artists and with free entry for all inhabitants of Polopos. Instead of paying for their lodging, this is how artists are giving back to the community. The focus is on hands-on participatory activities that are suitable for older people and mixed ability groups plus families with children.
Social media
Thanks to the Dutch television program and the continued effort to keep fans of the program connected, the social media channels of Thysa and Wijnand have a high number of active followers. On Facebook and Instagram together they can reach 60.000 people. There will be a designated instagram page to highlight activities and events of the association, but the existing social media outlets will be used to attract attention also.
Funding
We work with national and international funders to support the programme and raise the profile. We are exploring the possibilities of a membership or a friend-program for individuals that want to support our activities. With a membership or friend status people could get discounts on art and receive invitations to exclusive events or openings.