PLACE
" The space, a former 17th century Convent of Carmelitas Descalzas. Although Antonio's collection began in the pockets of his corduroy shorts, today the Antonio Perez Foundation has a total of 35 rooms spread over 4 floors and more than four thousand works of art in its collection.
The museum started with the initial collection of paintings, sculpture, photography, graphic works and artist's books, which Antonio treasured before creating the Foundation, but in a short time it increased dramatically. In its funds, we find names of both established artists and young artists whose work has deserved the gaze of Antonio Perez. It is worth mentioning some rooms within the museum for their importance, such as the Millares Room, the Lucebert space, the rooms dedicated to the work of Antonio Saura or the Carmen Calvo space.
An important moment for the FAP was in 2002, when Elvireta Escobio, widow of Manolo Millares, and her daughters Coro and Eva, left in deposit, a total of twenty harpilleras of the Canarian artist, giving rise to the only museum space in the world where so much work is exhibited, permanently, of this artist. In addition, artists such as Ouka Leele, Luis Gordillo, José Luis Alexanco, Javier Pagola, Alfredo Alcaín and Luis Feito have also made important donations. The collectors Ignacio Muñoz and Irene Cábez, who donated a series of engravings by Corneille, and Lucebert's widow, who gave the Foundation more than 100 works, including paintings, engravings and gouaches.
In addition to Antonio's facet as a collector, he was also an artist and publisher, and the Foundation is witness to this. One of its rooms shows his work as a publisher, displaying his famousEditorial Antojos. On the other hand, the museum treasures part of his most precious collection, hisObjetos Encontrados, which undoubtedly make the Foundation a very special place for visitors.
The most unique thing about Antonio's collection is that he is a person linked to most of the creators represented, for reasons of friendship and, in some cases, professional collaboration.
The museum space in Cuenca is completed with a library, which contains such an important collection of art books that it is one of the best in Castilla la Mancha."
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PERSON
"Born in Sigüenza (Guadalajara), Antonio Pérez arrived for the first time in the city of Cuenca at the end of the 50's. During this trip he met Manolo Millares and Antonio Saura, with whom he maintained a great friendship, and thanks to whom he started his collection.
Cuenca in those years was a city that lived culture and art as never before, seeing poets, plastic artists, filmmakers... appear in its streets thanks to Zóbel and the creation of the Museum of Abstract Art, the first link and after which an unprecedented cultural trail was created in Spain.
Years later Antonio moved to live in Paris, where he stayed for twenty years. During this period he was the founder of Ruedo Ibérico. There he had the opportunity to experience friendship and collaboration with many artists. In 1975 he settled definitively in Cuenca and in the mid 90's, the Provincial Council of Cuenca reached an agreement with him, through which Antonio donated his collection to this Institution. In 1998 the Antonio Pérez Foundation was opened to the public for the first time."
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