Six large-format versions of Mark Rothko's Untitled (1969), exhibited on the stage of the Teatro del Museo Universidad de Navarra, put the finishing touch on December 19 to project Rothko.50. The authors are the 1,512 schoolchildren, between 6 and 18 years old and from 28 schools in Navarre, who have participated in this initiative promoted by the Museum's Educational area , with the support of Fundación Caja Navarra. The closing ceremony was attended by students from the following schools: Escolapios Calasanz, Santo Tomás, María Inmaculada, Santa Catalina, El Molino, IES Mendillori and Irabia-Izaga. The students of the latter two schools also participated in the last two workshops of the program.

The starting point of this project, developed from September to December of this year, is the 50th anniversary of Untitled, a work painted by Rothko a year before his death. To celebrate this event, the Museum has invited students from Education Primary, ESO, high school diploma training Professional, Education Special and groups at risk of social exclusion. Among the main objectives are to learn to look, enhance creativity, teamwork work and develop the Philosophy learning by doinglearning by doing and, in addition, having fun.

Fernando Echarri, manager of the Museum's Educational area , emphasizes that "we live in a very fast-paced society and project proposes to stop and learn to look in depth, to contemplate. Therefore, the first activity of each workshop is to see the work. In addition, another goal is to work on creativity, which is increasingly valued. And it focuses, above all, on decision making and problem solving".

SELF-KNOWLEDGE THROUGH ART

Thus, after contemplating the painting and learning about the author's biographical and artistic keys, the schoolchildren work in the museum's workshops. "They have to reproduce Rothko's works and make decisions about technique, colors, shapes, etc., based on the artist's technique. In addition, participants learn to interpret. "We work on self-knowledge through contemporary art," says Echarri. Thus, each schoolchild has created two personal versions, one with markers and the other using the collage technique.

In addition, collectively, everyone has participated in the creation of the large-scale reproductions, the six collaborative murals. "Many groups have passed and we have only created six murals. The students have thus become aware that something apparently simple is actually complex. The light that Rothko's color has is very difficult to create," emphasizes the manager of the area. Thanks to this project, they also learn to work as a team and experience the satisfaction of creating a project together.

Prior to the project Rothko.50, two educational projects were developed in the Museum: the project Gernika, in the 2017-18 academic year, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Picasso 's work and the existence in the Museum's collection of Oteiza 's work Estela para un pueblo pacífico que era Gernika. The course 2018-19 was held the project Kandinsky in the place of the Castle, from the work of the Russian artist belonging to the collection. In addition to learning about his history and technique, the visit that he made to Pamplona in 1929 together with other Bauhaus artists was made known. Both projects involved large collaborative murals. In 2020 a new project will take over.