A beautiful bench disappearing little by little. However, for the shortsighted vision in Córdoba, there is the exquisite sensibility of those who visit us. We called them “tourist” but throughout time they have been much more than that, they are “travelers” and they have awaken cultural interests that were hidden to everyone’s eyes and created using the raw materials of the city and expanded our own provincial ways. We, Hotel Viento10, are determined to prove the magnetism of this city.
Jamelie Hassan is a top multidisciplinary artist from Canada. She is, however, of Lebanese ancestry. Jamelie did also search and find her muses in Córdoba.
Lingering in the city, she run into this forgotten circular bench in “Los Patos”, delicate aphorisms signed by Seneca decorate it. Jamelie must have visited the city around 1980, maybe sooner, since his work dates from 1981 and I am sure the process of building it was not short.
“When I first arrived to my studio after mi trip to Spain, I realized that the pictures I took there were but a series of snapshots of this park in Córdoba, they were a rare amount in comparison with the strong visual reminiscence I brought home. This bench, inspired by the tiles I had seen in the park comes with a tale created out of the details of this photos” -Jamelie Hassan.
“Bench of Córdoba” by Jamelie Hassan is exhibited in the reading area in the Bellerive hall of the the Aga Khan Museum; an extension of the circular ceramics of Córdoba. The bench will remain there until the 1st of January of 2018 as a part of the temporal exhibition: “Here: locating Canadian contemporary artists” The artwork at its site in the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto.
“Bench of Córdoba” 1981.
Tiles made out of glazed ceramic and the book containing the color pictures of Seneca’s aphorisms.
Copyright © London Museum collection, London, Ontario.
The bench that Jamelie took the inspiration from at its original and current locations in the Agriculture Gardens of Córdoba; close to the train station and sadly abandoned.
The picture was taken by my good friend José Alberto, under the premise that he will not mind my daring.
You can check out his blog if you want further information of the craft of this benches.
http://puertadeosario. blogspot.com.es/2014/06/los- azulejos-de-los-jardines-de- los.html