Miquel Navarro City Metaphors

In celebration of the 500th anniversary of Ponce de León's discovery of Florida and the 450th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States, the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation (CIFO) and the Institut Valencià d'Art Modern (IVAM) proudly present the exhibition Miquel Navarro: City Metaphors—selections from the IVAM Collection.

This exhibition highlights the new wave of Spanish sculpture from the 1970s and 80s, which drew inspiration from masters like Julio González. This movement expanded the scope of sculpture to include installation art and interventions that engage with nature and the human body. Miquel Navarro (b. 1945, Mislata, Valencia) stands out in this context, maintaining a significant presence in the international art scene through his distinctive vision and discipline.

Navarro's iconic representations of cities—called "clusters"—are prototypes for his sculptural installations. These works assemble small pieces resembling various urban structures, from houses to factories, blending ornamental and representational forms. Their design is rooted in imaginary urbanism, a hallmark of Navarro's artistic approach, now represented in IVAM's permanent collection through the generous donation of 515 pieces. This collection showcases his artistic evolution, allowing viewers to appreciate his unique style.

His sculptures embody construction principles that resonate with sacred forms, particularly in their relationship to the natural world. Navarro aims not to replicate existing bodies or objects but to create vital signs that express order, harmony, permanence, and the structure of reality.

Overall, his work consists of installations and assemblages forming sculptural landscapes, traversing the spectrum from rural to urban and natural to industrial. As suggested by the exhibition titled City Metaphors, Navarro's art explores the coexistence of various seasonal environments, crafting a Cubist chronology where past and present converge in representations of buildings, industry, and cities.

In this exhibition, Navarro utilizes the rhythm of city life to engage with contemporary themes. Through a dynamic sculptural language, he positions himself as a creator of dreams, ideals, and metaphors. This selection from the IVAM Collection reveals two fundamental aspects of Navarro's oeuvre: the fusion of sculpture with architecture and his distinctive city vision.