The Regional Minister of Culture, Language Policy and Sport, Vanessa Gutiérrez, today signed an agreement of intent (acuerdo de intenciones) with the Director General of People, Organisation and Legal Affairs at Unicaja, Juan Medina, whereby the financial institution will transfer under custody the works of art from the former Caja de Ahorros de Asturias included in the Unicaja Collection to the Principado. This will advance the process of protecting the art collection, currently in the hands of the bank, and will allow the work of living artists to be included in the protected collection.
The regional minister stressed that this step "marks a milestone in the recovery and protection of the cultural heritage shared by all Asturians" and highlighted that "institutional collaboration guarantees that an art collection of enormous value will return to Asturias and can be enjoyed by all citizens".
For his part, Unicaja's Director General of People, Organisation and Legal Affairs pointed out that "for the bank, this agreement reaffirms our commitment to the conservation and enhancement of Asturian cultural heritage, making it easier for citizens in the region to enjoy it".
The agreement of intent reflects Unicaja's willingness to declare the collection of works owned by the former Caja de Ahorros de Asturias as Asset of Cultural Interest, as well as to transfer to Asturias those pieces that are currently located outside the region. Specifically, this involves 172 works deposited in Cuenca, Madrid and Barcelona, which will be temporarily transferred to the Principado.
Following this agreement of intent, both parties will formalise a collaboration agreement specifying the details of the deposit in Asturias of the works in the collection, including those currently located outside the region, as well as their temporary transfer to the Principado de Asturias.
The Regional Minister of Culture has expressed her gratitude for the willingness and collaboration shown by Unicaja, which has facilitated the progress of the work and the institutional understanding necessary to guarantee the return of the collection. "This agreement is the result of rigorous, discreet and constant work carried out throughout this legislative term and is an example of the work being done by the Regional Ministry to safeguard and recover Asturian heritage that was outside our Community," said Gutiérrez.
Asturian artists
The agreement of intent signed on Thursday reflects the shared interest of the Principado de Asturias and Unicaja in ensuring the preservation of a collection that constitutes the main example of financial patronage of the arts in Asturias between 1940 and the first decade of this century, comprising hundreds of paintings, drawings and sculptures by a select group of 19th-century Asturian artists and creators from other regions, providing a comprehensive overview of the evolution of Asturian art in recent decades. Some examples of the artists are Joaquín Vaquero Turcios, Pablo Maojo Acebedo, Antonio Suárez, Vicente Pastor, María Teresa 'Maite' Centol, Alejandro Mieres and Amado González 'Favila'.
The signing of this agreement coincides with the final phase of the process initiated by the Regional Ministry to declare the collection an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC, Bien de Interés Cultural) and comes one day after the plenary session of the Consejo del Patrimonio Cultural de Asturias, chaired by the Regional Minister, issued the final report for the declaration of this collection as a BIC, a preliminary step prior to its approval by decree by the Governing Council of the Principado.
