universidad de almería has inaugurated the exhibition 'a place out of time', created by young artist and researcher gonzalo j. tejero. the institutional opening was led by vice-rector for culture and society, maría del mar ruiz domínguez, alongside cultural section head elisa álvarez siles, director of the heritage classroom alfredo ureña uceda, exhibition curator carlos del pino martínez, and the artist himself.
During the inaugural event, attendees praised the artistic proposal that intricately weaves contemporary production with academic research. vice-rector ruiz domínguez emphasised the commitment to filling university spaces with exhibitions and initiatives designed by the heritage classroom and photography classroom to share artistic creation. she noted that the exhibition features a young artist, balancing showcases of established artists with emerging talents like tejero.
the director of the heritage classroom explained that this exhibition marks the beginning of a series of displays, which forms part of a significant initiative within their programming. this effort aims to highlight emerging artists, with tejero described as a 'very young, promising artist'. the goal is to utilise university spaces to showcase and promote such artists.
ureña revealed that this initiative is part of a broader plan that includes various types of exhibitions, continuing to highlight the university's own heritage and focusing on showcasing active artists from almería in the coming weeks. future plans also include exhibitions featuring established artists from outside the region and thematic monographic exhibitions.
'a place out of time' originated in mid-2023 through a research grant in the painting department at the faculty of fine arts at the university of granada, developed alongside the activities of research group hum611 and an r+d+i project on graphic arts and new technologies. tejero explained that the project 'starts from an expanded pictorial conception through painting', exploring connections 'in relation to photography, graphic work, and different types of language'.
the exhibition's theme investigates 'how landscapes are constructed through images in relation to the experience of territory', making it particularly significant to present this work in almería, where it was conceived. tejero expressed his choice of this region, noting its historical relationship with many artists and its unique landscape that deserves care and sensitivity.
carlos del pino, who studied alongside tejero, expressed his excitement for the exhibition's arrival at universidad de almería, particularly as it stems from the almerian landscape. he quickly thought of tejero's project for the exhibition, having been a classmate and familiar with its development from the beginning. he highlighted the suitability of the exhibition space in the multi-purpose building, stating that it interacts well with the surrounding landscape, which is central to the exhibition's theme.
conceptually and materially, the exhibition has impressed attendees with its experimental nature, innovatively bridging new technologies and traditional painting. the works, largely created in the image laboratory at the faculty of fine arts in granada, incorporate a wide variety of media, including traditional painting, graphic art, object interventions, photography, and installations. despite the diversity of formats, all pieces engage with one another to create a cohesive narrative.
gonzalo j. tejero, born in jaén in 2003, graduated in fine arts from the university of granada and has received consecutive research initiation grants in 2024 and collaboration grants from the ministry of education and vocational training in 2025. he has completed a master's degree in production and research in art and has gained international recognition with exhibitions in cities such as paris, madrid, palma de mallorca, and mexico city. his work is included in prestigious institutional collections, including the contemporary art collection of the university of granada and the atalaya collection of public universities in andalusia.
the exhibition is now open to the public at universidad de almería, offering visitors a reflective space where images serve as a meeting point between various creative dimensions and hybrid processes in contemporary painting.
