Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT) paid tribute to the 15th anniversary of El Cubo, an emblematic space in the state which has been the venue of hundreds of national and international artists and exhibitions.

To celebrate the great cultural and touristic support that this venue offers, the former managing director of CECUT, Teresa Vicencio Álvarez, was present. During her leadership, she was a fundamental piece in the planning and construction of this project.

"The proposal came because there was a need to create a space with appropriate temperature, safety, and illumination conditions and standards in order to exhibit international events," Vicencio Álvarez said during this anniversary celebration.

Due to this, the initiative was to create a museum-style space that would allow "to bring the best of the world to Tijuana" and promote culture and art in a different way.

The project began in 2005, with a total of 30 different architectural proposals, and it was officially inaugurated on September 27, 2008. The former managing director of CECUT spoke about the efforts by hundreds of people to create this space.

"As such, today's celebration is very important because it was quite a challenge. It reminds us of the work that we have to do when we are leading these institutions. We have to feel proud of this teamwork and promote the creation of this type of spaces and opportunities," Vicencio added.

Despite the challenges in planning, developing, and building this project, it was eventually finished and it became a meeting point to preserve cultural heritages. This project, thanks to excellent management, managed to maximize its resources and become an optimal venue for international exhibitions.

"We faced all of these challenges and there was also the fear of what architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez (the one in charge of the architectural design of CECUT) would think, but one time when we spoke, he was grateful of how accurate we had been when designing this museum as it contrasted perfectly with the spherical sensation of CECUT," Vicencio said.

An architectural legacy and a representative project of the city

The architectural design of El Cubo was overseen by Eugenio Velázquez, one of the special guests during this anniversary celebration. He spoke about the main challenges when building this project and the entire history of one of the most important museums in northwestern Mexico.

Through a competition, the project titled "Renacimiento" was selected. This project was overseen by a team consisting of seven graduates with an Architecture Degree, led by Eugenio Velázquez, who gave the museum a shape and created a design in harmony with the iconic spherical structure of CECUT.

El Cubo has an international contemporary style and a geometric architecture that has managed to create a great balance with the facilities of CECUT.

"As architects, we always want to give our very best, to create projects that stand out in our city. We design and work on that and the space we had been designated to work with. On that occasion, that was the first time we faced a competition of that nature. We were very young, but luckily, we managed to do it and created a very significant space," Velázquez said.

The museum strengthened the institution regarding spreading awareness of visual arts, attracting numerous audiences and hosting endless exhibitions.

New projects and long-term activities

What now? El Cubo, besides being the venue of artistic projects, is a distinguished promoter of educational programs for all ages.

This museum has characterized itself for being a space of reflection and learning that transcends areas, such as digital spaces, and reaches education communities, indigenous communities, and people with special needs.

In an interview with Dra. Vianka Robles Santana, current director of CECUT, she spoke about future projects. One of them is the 2nd Edition of the International Triennial Competition in Tijuana/url], that provides visibility to pictorial projects that explore different aesthetic paradigms.

Currently, CECUT has between 10,000 and 12,000 activities during the year. Some are not that visible because they are done virtually or in communities, in any of the 45 venues in the state and that includes shelters, youth integration centers, detention centers, children's homes, etc.

The current director reiterated the need to keep building safe spaces to promote and benefit culture so that it can reach all people in the state.

Lastly, the 15th anniversary event of El Cubo concluded with a toast, an awards ceremony, words of gratitude, and a musical performance by jazz ensemble Blue Note, consisting of Frida la Sota, Jonathan Romero, and Kathia Rudametkin.

El Cubo facilities are currently hosting two artistic exhibitions. The first one is titled "Arte y Resistencia", which has a community base and reflects the reality of native people in Mexico, which allows the audience to recognize and relate to the cultural characteristics of each community.

The second one is named "Rebelión" and it gathers the controversial artwork by Czech artist David Cerny, who criticizes social and political issues through his art.

This museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 7 PM. Prices are $50 pesos for adults and $30 pesos for children. Admission is free on Sundays.

This could interest you: [url=https://www.sandiegored.com/es/noticias/243676/Controversiales-obras-de-David-Cerny-estaran-por-primera-vez-en-Tijuana-Entrada-sera-gratis]Controversial artwork by David Cerny will be in Tijuana for the first time. Free admission!