En Femení. Màtria

Artist list

Eugènia Arnavat, Rosa Borredà, Elena Comín, Trinidad Contreras, Clara Del Papa, Marta Herradura, Judy McCaig, Elena Moreno Ribas, Nora Sarlak, Sílvia Serra Albaladejo

The term MÀTRIA raises controversy because it is not included in the dictionary of the RAE, which allows it to form its own criteria. It is mainly used in fields such as research, anthropology and gender studies.

In classical antiquity, MÀTRIA referred to the native land and the feeling of belonging. Female deities were linked to lunar cycles, fertility and sexuality, associating the term with tenderness and healing. In Roman times, a separation was established between public and private space, with patria as a formal concept and MÀTRIA as a symbolic and private space. This distinction has endured through the literary tradition, legitimizing the MÀTRIA as an interior space for creation.

The neologism MÀTRIA, derived from the Spanish material, has been used by writers such as Isabel Allende to reconstruct the idea of​​homeland, already mentioned by Plutarch in ancient Greece. In the 17th century, it was associated with the native land, and Miguel de Unamuno evoked the feminization of the attributes of nationality, an idea similar to that of Jorge Luis Borges on "mother nature".

According to the philologist Pedro Álvarez de Miranda, "Words are always adopted by the collective, not by individuals". The philosopher María Zambrano also defended this term, stating: "Yes, I lost my father, I lost my homeland, but I was left with my mother, the MÀTRIA."

The noun Pátria is feminine and is often used with MOTHER PÀTRIA. Associating the feeling of belonging to the feminine element evokes the earth as a mother, with connotations of fertility and care. Currently, for many, the MÀTRIA represents hospitals, schools, help for dependency and support for vulnerable families.


Opening: 8th November, 18:00 h.