Exhibition by Torre del Mar secondary school pupils shows the forgotten female voices of 20th-century Spain

History

The Invisibility Vending Machine will remain on display at La Azucarera cultural centre in the eastern Costa del Sol town and the items can be purchased for small sums with the proceeds going towards the purchase of gender-sensitive bibliographic resources for the participating schools

Eugenio Cabezas

A vending machine has been transformed into an art installation, featuring objects created by students at the María Zambrano secondary school in Torre del Mar, which focuses on the forgotten female writers of Spain's Generation of ’27.

The initiative, called 'Invisibility Vending Machine' was presented at the town's Azucarera cultural centre with the public presentation of the work produced by some 60 Year 10 pupils over ten sessions held throughout the school year.

The project forms part of the Andalusian art and education programme, organised by the Junta de Andalucía, which this year reaches 37 schools across the region with the aim of bringing contemporary art and culture closer to pupils.

The project was led by artist Álex Peña alongside the Mosaica team and stems from a critical analysis of school libraries to highlight the historically limited presence of female creators in educational collections.

Building on this reflection, the students have explored the rediscovery of female figures associated with the Generation of ’27, particularly those known as ‘Las Sinsombrero’—a group of artists, writers and intellectuals who were overshadowed for decades by their male counterparts.

During the creative process, the students produced artistic objects, sound pieces, audiovisual narratives and visual works inspired by authors including María Teresa León, Rosa Chacel, Ernestina de Champourcin and Marga Gil Roësset.

The end result is a vending machine equipped with sound systems and audiovisual content accessible via digital links. The items can be purchased for small sums and the proceeds will go towards the purchase of gender-sensitive bibliographic resources for the participating schools.

In a statement, the regional government explained that the project aims not only to highlight the role of women in the history of art and literature, but also to promote collaborative learning methodologies, encourage community participation and connect contemporary art with social and educational transformation.

The installation will remain on display at La Azucarera cultural centre in Torre del Mar so that residents and visitors can interact with the artistic project and help to expand educational resources from an egalitarian perspective.

The initiative in Torre del Mar joins other projects seeking to introduce new forms of cultural learning into Andalusian classrooms, using contemporary artistic tools to address issues such as democratic memory, gender equality and civic participation.