The ENAIRE Foundation opens the exhibition by Montserrat Soto "Doom City. Del Ser nómada al Ser sin lugar" in the Naves de Gamazo

Today, at its permanent headquarters in the Naves de Gamazo, the ENAIRE Foundation opened the exhibition by Montserrat Soto "Doom City. Del Ser nómada al Ser sin lugar", which was attended by the Government Delegate in Cantabria, Eugenia Gómez de Diego; the Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism, Luis Martínez; the Chairman of the Santander Port Authority, César Díaz; Margarita Asuar, Managing Director of the ENAIRE Foundation; the curator of the exhibition, Alicia Murría; and the artist, Montserrat Soto.

The exhibition, curated by Alicia Murría, is a reflection on the human being, image and the role of art

In the exhibition "Doom City. Del Ser nómada al Ser sin lugar", Montserrat Soto has created a personal and visual atlas made of photographs, videos and books that spans the period from 2004 to 2021.

"During this time, we have witnessed great changes in the world, and through this exhibition project, Soto seeks to capture, using imagery, the uniqueness of different societies in order to understand human beings through their individual and collective ways of problem-solving", explains Alicia Murría, the exhibition curator, who sees this as "a reflection on humanity, but also on imagery and the role of art".

Montserrat Soto has travelled to real-world settings ranging from Damascus to New York, Namibia, Tunisia, Cuba, São Paulo, Caracas, Jerusalem, Mauritania, Paris, Madrid, and Barcelona. She has undertaken extensive research on these places, conducting interviews, consulting archives, studying colonial history, engaging with local inhabitants, and drawing from literature, essays, legislative documentation, and the media.

Each year, the ENAIRE Foundation includes an exhibition by a Lifetime Achievement Award winner in the programming of the Naves de Gamazo Art Centre in Santander. For Margarita Asuar, managing director of the ENAIRE Foundation, “we were waiting to organise this exhibition in order to continue bringing the Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award winners to Santander in chronological order".

Margarita Asuar also expressed her gratitude and congratulations to Montserrat Soto for her 20 years of work compiled in this exhibition, which "presents a multi-layered discourse, where visitors can choose their own level of perception and engagement. Through parallel mediation activities, we will offer visitors the opportunity to explore the different realities presented by Montserrat Soto, as this exhibition is, in itself, both an external and internal journey that inspires each visitor’s freedom of thought”.

"Behind all these images there are stories", Montserrat Soto concluded at the opening, where she gave a guided tour to those in attendance.

Art capsule at the Seve Ballesteros Airport

As is now customary, Fundación ENAIRE has installed an art capsule dedicated to Montserrat Soto at the Seve Ballesteros – Santander Airport, creating a link between the airport space and the Naves de Gamazo Art Centre. “The aim is not only to welcome travelers with art but also to demystify it, by bringing it to a space that is not an art centre or museum, making the ENAIRE Foundation's exhibitions more accessible to all audiences and encouraging interest in visiting the full exhibition at the Naves de Gamazo”, explains Asuar.

The exhibition will be open to the public until 15 June, both at the Naves de Gamazo Art Centre and at the Seve Ballesteros Airport.

Get more information on the ENAIRE Foundation's website.

Montserrat Soto

Montserrat Soto, born in Barcelona in 1961, is a prominent Spanish artist, recognised for her work in photography and installations. Her work focuses on exploring space, place and landscape, using emptiness as a predominant element.

Educated at the Escola Massana in Barcelona and the École Supérieure d'Art in Grenoble, Soto began her exhibition career in 1989 and has showcased her work in numerous internationally renowned institutions.

In 2019, Margarita Soto received the National Photography Award and the 2nd Lifetime Achievement Award from the ENAIRE Foundation in recognition of her outstanding artistic career and significance in the world of photography. Her work is powerful yet unpretentious, built on a solid research and a theme of enduring relevance.

For Margaret Asuar, “her art is political, anthropological and social. Montserrat presents us with a critical view of reality and advocates for freedom of thought".

[Miguel de Arriba | SRECD]

About ENAIRE Foundation

Is a cultural institution of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility that, in addition to managing, preserving and exhibiting the ENAIRE Collection of Contemporary Art, engages in a comprehensive annual programme of activities that focus on aeronautical art and culture. Notably, it is one of the institutions that currently provides the most support to photography through its annual prizes - which have become a benchmark for professional photographers - and by hosting exhibits.

It is the only foundation in Spain that combines the two seemingly disparate themes of art and aeronautical culture, bringing them together by undertaking a programme of activities that promote the study, research, knowledge and dissemination of aeronautical culture, integrating history and modernity to raise awareness of the world of aviation in our country.

The Naves de Gamazo are the first permanent home of the ENAIRE Collection of Contemporary Art, an example of collaboration between government agencies that was made possible thanks to the partnership and joint efforts of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, the Government of Cantabria, through the Office for Culture, Tourism and Sport, and the Port Authority of Santander, which share the operating expenses of the centre in order to ensure the present and future viability of this cultural project.

ENAIRE Foundation is implementing digital museum resources to boost the democratisation of art and make it accessible from anywhere in the world. These new museum resources are now available on the Foundation's website. 

About ENAIRE

ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain.

As a company of the Ministry of Sustainable Transport and Mobility, it provides air traffic control services during the en route and approach phases of all flights to and from Spain and overflights. In addition, it manages communications, navigation and surveillance services from ENAIRE in the airspace and the entire AENA airport network in Spain and provides aerodrome air traffic control services in 21 airports, including the busiest.

ENAIRE is the fourth largest European air navigation service provider, and it is a member of international partnerships A6 Alliance, SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, iTEC, CANSO (Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation) and collaborates closely with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization).

ENAIRE has received the highest score in Europe on the aviation safety key performance indicator for four years in a row. It has also been awarded the EFQM 600 Seal for its safe, efficient, innovative and sustainable management of air navigation services.