MAXAM
Visual dialogue between the history of the Panama Canal and XX and XXI Centuries Spanish art at Centro Cultural de España- Casa del Soldado
2016.11.15
MAXAM Foundation - Press room - News - Visual dialogue between the history of the Panama Canal and XX and XXI Centuries Spanish art at Centro Cultural de España- Casa del Soldado
“The Panama Canal and the MAXAM Collection. History through Explosives Calendars” sets out the main milestones of the construction of the Canal –including its expansion– with the images which illustrated the popular explosives calendar over these years.
- A journey from 1872 (when MAXAM was founded by Alfred Nobel) through to 2017, year in which the Company's calendar is illustrated by a Panamá Canal expansion based painting.
- The exhibition touches on dates as important as the start of construction of the Canal in 1904, its inauguration in 1914, the opening of the Bridge of the Americas in 1962, and the referendum which approved the expansion in 2006. Milestones illustrated with photographic backgrounds of the Canal Museum.
- The MAXAM Collection has been put together since 1899 by adding one work per year. The purpose of all the artwork was to illustrate MAXAM's calendar, the first one being in 1900. In total, a collection of one hundred works that brings together some of the most important Spanish artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
- 59 of these can be seen in the exhibition “MAXAM Collection. Spanish Painting since 1900” at the Panama Interoceanic Canal Museum, which opened yesterday and continues through to 19th February 2017.
- MAXAM is a Spanish company with almost 150 years of history which has offices in more than 45 countries on five different continents, dedicated mostly to blasting products and solutions for mining, quarries and construction.
- MAXAM has been operating in Panama since 2008 and has played a key role in the Canal expansion project by designing and performing over 3500 blasts.
Following the inauguration of the Canal expansion on 26th June, MAXAM Foundation has brought 59 works of its painting collection to Panama, at an exhibition which opened yesterday and can be seen through to 19th February 2017 at Panama Interoceanic Canal Museum. The exhibition, under the title “MAXAM Collection. Spanish Painting since 1900”, goes over the evolution of this artistic discipline and the habits and customs of Spanish society from this date through to today.
To complement this exhibition, Centro Cultural de España - Casa del Soldado is displaying “The Panama Canal and the MAXAM Collection. History through Explosives Calendars”. This exhibition sets out the most significant moments of the history of the Canal through photographs provided by the Panama Canal Interoceanic Museum and images from the MAXAM Collection in Spain to illustrate the almanac popularly known as the "Explosives Calendar".
The MAXAM Painting Collection
The MAXAM Collection dates back to 1899. 25 years after the Company was founded by Alfred Nobel in 1872. At a time when there was no Internet or social media, not even colour television or print media, a poster used as a calendar was an excellent way to promote the Company's products every day of the year.
The image to illustrate it has always been achieved using the same method: commissioning a publicly and critically renowned artist to paint the image that will then illustrate the Company’s almanac. A tradition which dates back to 1899 for the 1900 calendar, and which has continued year upon year since then.
The MAXAM 2017 Calendar, illustrated by the painter Manuel Alcorlo, captures the Canal expansion project, in which MAXAM has played a leading role by designing and implementing over 80% of the blasts performed in this huge civil engineering work which is so important for world trade.
“The Panama Canal and the MAXAM Collection. History through Explosives Calendars” can be seen at Centro Cultural de España - Casa del Soldado in Panamá from 15th November 2016 to 10th January 2017.
MAXAM Foundation – www.fundacionmaxam.net
The MAXAM Foundation is a non-profit organisation which channels the patronage activities of MAXAM in the field of culture, especially art. The mission of the organisation is the preservation and dissemination of the historic heritage created by MAXAM since its foundation by Alfred Nobel in 1872. It also organises activities for the promotion and achievement of objectives of general interest which are of a civic, social, educational or scientific nature, plus research and technological development.
Its main areas of activity are:
- The organisation, protection and preservation of the historical heritage of the Company.
- The management of the MAXAM Collection of paintings, which began in 1899 and every year illustrates the famous Explosives Calendars.
- The Explosives House at the Museum of Mining and Industry of Asturias (www.mumi.es)
- The MAXAM Chair of Explosives Technology at the School of Mining Engineers of the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), through which training agreements have been signed with universities in many countries (Brazil, Bolivia, Spain, Finland Hungary, Poland, Australia, ...). In these, engineering students complete their studies in Spain and later begin their professional careers in international MAXAM projects.
Panamá Interoceanic Canal Museum – www.museodelcanal.com
The Panama Interoceanic Canal Museum is a non-profit permanent institution, at the service of society and its development, open to the public; which acquires, preserves, investigates, interprets, spreads and exhibits the testimonies of the history of Panamá and its Canal, to educate and increase the knowledge of those who visit it. Through carefully selected, acquired and exhibited objects and materials related with the history, construction, technology and functioning of the Panamá Canal.
The Panamá Interoceanic Canal Museum achieves its objectives of gathering, preserving, guarding, disclosing and investigating Panamá Canal related themes. It also contributes to increasing our community’s cultural knowledge, strengthening different initiatives and activities of mutual benefit.
The Canal Museum is located in the Plaza de la Independencia, Casco Antiguo, San Felipe and opens its doors to the public from Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 am to 05:00 pm.
