Arte en Marcha, the cultural management collective founded just a year ago by two young women from Zaragoza, brings together ten female artists from Aragon around an uncommon word, more of a concept, Exuvia, and a powerful message: to liberate oneself from imposed roles through art.
There are words that stop you. Exuvia is one of them. Most people do not recognize it at first glance, and that is precisely what Lucía Rodríguez de Niño and Sara del Pilar Mastral, the two curators and founders of Arte en Marcha, the cultural management collective based in Zaragoza organizing this exhibition, are looking for. «I think we are very communicative,» says Lucía with a smile as she explains the choice of title.
Exuvia is the skin that arachnids shed when they molt. That old, empty layer left behind as the animal grows into a new form. The metaphor is perfect for what the exhibition proposes: a collective process of shedding roles, layers, and mandates that particularly weigh on women. «We call it collective shedding,» explains Lucía, «because that’s what it is; it’s about shedding.»
In just one year of activity and with eight exhibitions under their belt, the collective Arte en Marcha has become one of the most dynamic emerging initiatives in the Aragonese cultural scene. Behind the project are two young creators from Zaragoza, Lucía Ruiz de Temiño and Sara del Pilar Mastral, who have opted for a clear formula: to create visibility spaces for local artists —especially women and youth— through independent, intuitive, and committed cultural management. «We focus on young people because we are young, and we focus on women because we are women,» explains Lucía. «It’s what resonates with us.»
Their latest and current proposal, the collective exhibition Exuvia (from April 9 to April 19), represents a further step in this line of work. It is not just an ordinary exhibition but an expanded project that combines visual arts such as sculpture, painting, and photography with performances, workshops, and reflective spaces. According to Lucía Ruiz de Temiño, «this is precisely why it’s an exhibition for all kinds of people. We are betting on an innovative format and we are very, very satisfied with the audience’s response.»
Collective shedding: ten artists and 40 works
The very title of the exhibition, Exuvia, refers to an unusual concept: the skin that some animals, such as arachnids, shed. A metaphor that articulates the entire curatorial discourse. “It speaks of shedding layers, of freeing oneself from what is imposed, from roles, especially as women,” explains Ruiz de Temiño. The project brings together ten artists linked to Aragon —some born in the community and others rooted in the territory— who explore this idea through diverse languages: photography, painting, sculpture, or conceptual art.
Among the participants are Carmen Tempestart, Paloma Marina, Fátima Tomás, Lola Royo, Crisantelma, Pilar Almalé, Clara Sancho-Arroyo, Haizea Tramullas, Emilia Latorre, and Sandra Lacoma, forming a “collage of visions” that transcends the usual logic of collective exhibitions.
Youth art, female perspective, and intuitive selection
One of the distinguishing features of Arte en Marcha is its selection process. Far from traditional criteria such as experience or social media notoriety, the choice of artists responds to a combination of critical eye and intuition. “We seek emerging talent, artists who may not yet be in the most visible circuit but who have a powerful voice,” explains Ruiz de Temiño, who defines her work as a kind of “hunting” —in the best sense— for new perspectives.
«For us, it’s not a matter of whether an artist has more followers on social media,” says Lucía. The selection, she acknowledges, stems from intuition and a critical eye developed over years of work. «Female intuition holds considerable power,» she concludes, insisting that the focus on female creators is not exclusive, but central. “We also work with other profiles, but we focus on what resonates with us: we are young and we are women,” they emphasize.
Much more than an exhibition: art as transformation
Exuvia is conceived as a living space. The exhibition is complemented by parallel activities that turn the project into a small ephemeral cultural center: live performances —including interventions on Alfonso Street— portrait workshops, round tables, and theatrical proposals such as clown theater.
The intention is clear: to engage the audience, invite them to reflect, and, in a way, to “shed” as well. “Art is transformative,» Lucía specifies. «When you see a work and it makes you think differently, something is already changing; that’s where art is transforming you.» It is not an empty metaphor: the audience’s response during the first week of the exhibition speaks for itself. According to the organizers, around 500 people have visited the exhibition in its first days, a figure that makes them «very happy» and confirms the interest that emerging art and this type of independent initiative arouses.
Culture from self-management
The two founders do not come from nowhere. Lucía has experience in foundations and art projects in Aragon, while Sara has worked at C2KM, a reference museum in Madrid. They both define Arte en Marcha as «a project of projects»: a management and curatorial platform that focuses on bringing visibility to Aragonese talent that has not yet reached the broader art market but «is already worthwhile.»
The funding for Exuvia is mostly personal, supplemented by a grant from the Youth Service of the Ayuntamiento…
