AADK Spain’s headquarters are located in the town of Blanca, settled in the heart of Ricote Valley. It is known that the origins of Ricote date back to the early 8th century, with the Muslim occupation of the Iberian Peninsula.

The town has 6,000 inhabitants and lies on the banks of Segura River, a fundamental water supply for the region. Blanca’s foundation dates back to the 13th century being initially known as “Negra”, it is believed that because of the dark soil of a mountain nearby. The village is surrounded by a mountain range and an extensive area of pine forests. From its highest cliffs one can perceive the contrast between the intense green of the valley, and its semi-desert surroundings.

AADK Spain’s headquarters are located in the town of Blanca, settled in the heart of Ricote Valley. It is known that the origins of Ricote date back to the early 8th century, with the Muslim occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. The closest city is Murcia —“a fertile land by the water” or “land of myrtle trees”— which is 40km away.

We apply methodologies that emphasize immersion in the territory. The interaction with the landscape, memory, and imaginaries of the Ricote Valley is central to our initiatives, allowing for a rereading of the territory that challenges dominant narratives and fosters new ways of inhabiting the world.

AADK Spain is an extension of Aktuelle Architektur Der Kultur, a collective of three artists founded in 2006 and based in Berlin. Abraham Hurtado (Spain), Jochen Arbeit (Germany), and Vânia Rovisco (Portugal) came together to develop a project that established new relationships between creation, curation, and the reception of contemporary art. Over the course of six years, AADK developed events and actions at different locations throughout Berlin, activating new spaces through artistic intervention.

In 2012, Abraham Hurtado returned to Spain and founded AADK SP. In collaboration with artist Juan Conesa, he launched Centro Negra as a space for research and contemporary culture. During its early years, a series of site-specific interventions, residencies, concerts, workshops, and other activities were developed. All invited artists worked in close relation to the local context and community.

In 2015, Elena Azzedín joined the project, participating in the conception and implementation of the multidisciplinary Artistic Residency Program. As its curator, she also collaborated in the conceptualization and management of other initiatives, including lecture series, workshops, exhibitions, master’s internships, festivals, and radio projects.

In 2017, Selu Herraiz joined the project with Sonora, Experimental School, a radical pedagogy initiative funded by the Carasso Foundation. The project fosters new forms of learning and contemporary thought through eco-acoustic experimentation, expanding the platform’s focus toward the aural field. As a result, the festival De la Raíz al Noise —now ROTA— was founded, along with the publishing house and record label Aldarrax.

In 2020, Giuliana Grippo and Hanna Szabó joined the platform, contributing new ideas and management approaches, and collaborating in the development of the platform’s digital structure.

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