AVPIOP inaugurates ‘ARS EX INDUSTRIA, art as a mirror of Basque culture and industrial heritage’ at the Itsasmuseum, on the occasion of its 40th anniversary.

ARS EX INDUSTRIA, art as a mirror of Basque culture and industrial heritage. A view of the exhibition. / Photo, AVPIOP-IOHLEE.

ARS EX INDUSTRIA, art as a mirror of Basque culture and industrial heritage, is a collective exhibition of contemporary art that pays tribute to the legacy of Basque industrialisation through artistic creation. Organised by the Basque Association of Industrial Heritage and Public Works (AVPIOP), it is one of the central activities of the events commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Association, a pioneering organisation in the defence of industrial heritage in Spain. Throughout this year, the AVPIOP has carried out a series of activities aimed mainly at its social base, but it is with this exhibition that it culminates its celebration, committing to art as a tool for memory, emotion and future projection.

One of the most ambitious exhibitions on art and industry in the Basque Country

ARS EX INDUSTRIA, art as a mirror of Basque culture and industrial heritage, brings together 36 works by Basque, national and international artists who, from the 1980s to the present day, have reflected through art on the aesthetic, symbolic and social universe of industry. Through painting, sculpture, photography, installation and video, the exhibition does not merely illustrate the Basque industrial past, but interprets, transforms and re-signifies it.

The exhibition has been curated by Alberto Salcedo Fernández, PhD in Fine Arts, renowned for his research and curatorial work at the intersection of art, territory and heritage. Under his direction, a powerful, plural and deeply evocative visual narrative has been woven, highlighting how industry has been a source of inspiration for generations of artists.

Jon Ruigomez, director of Itsasmuseum, Javier Puertas, president of AVPIOP-IOHLEE, and Alberto Salcedo, curator of the exhibition and member of AVPIOP.. / Photo: Juan Carlos Otaola, Cadena SER.

A commemoration with roots and a future

This year, 2025, marks four decades of commitment to Basque cultural heritage, the memory of work, industrial landscapes and our social and cultural transformations.

ARS EX INDUSTRIA, art as a mirror of Basque culture and industrial heritage, is more than an exhibition. It is a tribute to all those who have defended the cultural value of our industrial past. It is a statement of principles. A way of saying that industrial heritage should not only be preserved: it should inspire us.

Jon Ruigomez, director of Itsasmuseum, presenting the ARS EX INDUSTRIA exhibition. / Foto AVPIOP.

Talks, meetings and dialogues to continue building collective memory

During the months that the exhibition will be open, AVPIOP will organise an extensive public programme of activities: talks with participating artists, open dialogues and meetings with experts in the fields of heritage, art and industrial history. The aim is to open up spaces for shared reflection on the future challenges facing Basque industrial heritage in terms of preservation, social use, reinterpretation and transmission to new generations.

Javier Puertas, president of AVPIOP, presenting the ARS EX INDUSTRIA exhibition.. / Foto AVPIOP.

 Alberto Salcedo, curator of the exhibition and member of AVPIOP presenting the ARS EX INDUSTRIA exhibition. / Photo AVPIOP.

Practical information:

Itsasmuseum Bilbao
From 2 December 2025 to 26 April 2026
Access with museum admission ticket
More information: www.patrimonioindustrialvasco.com / avpiop@avpiop.com / www.itsasmuseum.eus

Curator Alberto Salcedo discusses the exhibition with those attending the press conference. Photo: AVPIOP 02/12/2025.

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