Category Archives: Art & Artists

The Matança Monologues

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I went to the theatre in Manacor last night, to see Acorar by Toni Gomila. It was a bit like The Vagina Monologues but instead of sexual tribulations it was about Mallorca’s favourite pastime, the Matança (slaughtering the pig). I liked the one-man monologue performance very much even though it was in colloquial Mallorquín and not always easy to absorb. But the show was very well acted and well set-en-mise. The house was packed; apparently Manacor has quite a long-established theatre tradition. If you should happen to like the native idiom and favour a passionate discourse about some essential Mallorcan character traits, you can line up for tickets in Capdepera (January 27th), Santanyí (January 28th), Manacor (January 29th), and soon in Lloseta, Artà, Porto Cristo, etc. (February dates to be confirmed). The author is performing the clever script himself.

I was disappointed though for a different reason. I had imagined that the performance would be given at the new auditorium in Manacor, inaugurated only recently. I am feverishly up in arms against the idiocy of building a new theatre cum concert hall facility in a place like Manacor when the very town has a superbly equipped and well-functioning theatre with four salas of different sizes and capacities, only built some 20 or 30 years ago. Apparently, the new auditorium has cost 6,000,000 €, not including the usual cost overruns, and excluding the technical installations. It may be for this technical deficiency that The Matança Monologues had to be put on at the old theatre. Now Manacor has a multi-million venue which they can’t use until La Crisis is over and done with. Politicians are very good at wasting the taxpayers money and in getting their priorities wrong, again and again. Idiots.

The photo was taken in Manacor, Mallorca, Spain. The date: January 25th, 2012. The time was 21:12:19.

Haute Couture, Made in Calonge

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This may or may not interest you. I am writing about it because things like the following interest me.

There is a small village between Felanitx and Cala d’Or with probably the world’s highest concentration of fashion designers. The pueblo is called Calonge; it belongs to the jurisdiction of Santanyí. Calonge has no more than perhaps 980 inhabitants, but, hey: Calonge is home to two of the more eminent fashion designers that the world of Haute Couture fashion has seen over the last 20 years or so.

The older one is called Miquel Adrover (1965). He went to New York in 1995 and started designing his own woman’s fashion collection in 1999. Between then and 2004, he presented eight collections in NYC (see photo above). He was nominated for the Vogue Fashion Award in 2000 as the best avant-garde designer of the year. Some of his fashion designs are held in the V & A Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Bellevue Art Museum in Washington and the Museo Nacional Reina Sofía in Madrid. In the aftermath of 9/11, Miquel Adrover abandoned the US market and returned to Europe. He currently works and designs for a German fashion label, Hess Natur.

The younger one’s name is Sebastian Pons (1972). He went to London in the 90s to study at the Central Saint Martins College before he started to work for Alexander McQueen. In 2003, he joined Miquel Adrover’s team in New York, where he debuted in 2004 with a collection during the New York Fashion Week (see photo bottom). Later this week, Sebastian Pons will travel to New York where he will present his latest designs during the New York Fashion Week, all hand-tailored in Calonge by friends and family members. My wife and our younger daughter were shown some of his latest creations yesterday. I wasn’t there and no photo of the recent designs can possibly be published until after the NYFW presentations.

Both photos shown today are of fashion designs from the 2004 and 2005 collections, respectively. The images were borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of migueladrover.com (top) and thefashionspot.com (bottom).

Thank you very much, and

moltes gràcies.

Andy Warhol’s Sleep

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Pop artist Andrew Warhola, better known as Andy Warhol, does not really have a very close relationship with Mallorca, at least not one that I would know about. However, you can now have a close encounter with the art genius by coming to the CaixaForum in Palma where you will find an interesting presentation about the moving image, including an excerpt of a film by the man from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Caixa exhibition “El efecto del cine. Ilusión, realidad e imagen en movimiento” includes a 50 minute long excerpt from Andy Warhol’s cinema piece Sleep, an extract of the 5 hour 21 minute b/w original, shot mute in 16 mm (1963). The film was one of Warhol’s first experiments with filmmaking, and was created as a kind of anti-film.

According to the Internet Movie Database, Sleep was shot over Memorial Day weekend in 1963 in the apartment of poet John Giorno, Andy Warhol’s lover at the time. Giorno woke up to find Warhol watching him sleep and Warhol asked him if he’d like to be a movie star. Please watch the video interview with John Giorno (below) for more fascinating information. I had a chance to see the entire full length movie myself at a film festival in Munich in 1967; I also remember a number of encounters with Warhol himself, twice in London and once in New York.

The photo was taken in Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: November 23rd, 2011. The time was 14:05:49. The video was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of YouTube and nritsma.

Thank you very much.

Sleep well, Andy.

Poetical Minimalism

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Cecilia Segura is a youngish artist (1974) with Mallorcan roots, based in Barcelona, with currently a fascinating exhibition at Palma’s Casal Solleric (November 25th, 2011, to January 15th, 2012). The exhibition is a daring show of kinetic shapes and minimal colours in the tradition of Yaacov Agam or Jesús Rafael Soto. The presentation is not quite as captivating as a previous show presented by Soledad Sevilla at the Centre de Cultura SA NOSTRA in Palma (1993-94). The Soledad Sevilla installation as well as the Cecilia Segura show both are and were lyrical, poetical and sensitive; the present exhibition is probably the best one in Palma at this moment. The exhibition is open free of charge, Tuesday to Saturday (10h00-14h00 and 17h00-21h00) and Sunday (10h00-13h30).

If you can possibly make it to Madrid one of these days, Soledad Sevilla has a splendid installation there at the moment, at the Palacio de Cristal (Parque del Retiro) until April 15th, 2012.

On a note of tristesse I have you know that the Palma gallery, Joan Guaita Art, has sadly closed its doors for good after 25 years. Joan Guaita was the Spanish representative of Jesús Soto, amongst others. I understand that Senyor Guaita will continue to work as an art consultant on a freelance basis, from his private home.

The photo (top) was taken in Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: December 2nd, 2011. The time was 12:41:35. The photo (bottom) was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of solleric.org.

Muchas gracias.

The Lonja de Palma

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Sa Llotja de Palma (Lonja; Lotge) was built between 1421 and 1447 as a maritime trade exchange centre. Construction was started by architect Guillem Sagrera from Felanitx. The construction period of 12 years had been calculated but, the architect ran into quarrels with his client, the Colegio de la Mercadería (Merchants’ Guild), abandoned the project before its completion and left Mallorca altogether. After Sagrera’s departure, the Gothic building was completed by the architect Guillermo Vilasolar. At the time, the building formed part of Palma’s fortifications and the defense walls. For this reason, four defense towers were built in the four corners of the trade exchange.

The magnificent building was recently restored to its former glory at a cost of 2,500,000 €. A new roof terrace now replaces the former pitched roof. After the Summer it is planned that groups will be able to climb up to the roof terrace. Let’s see if that will happen.

The building’s single room interior is simply imposing. There are six tall, helical columns. The building has been used for art exhibition and installations during the last thirty years as well as for occasional political gatherings. La Lonja is open this week and next for the Llaüts Lights exhibition by Fabrizio Plessi and will be closed after the end of the show, who knows until when.

The photo (top) was taken in Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: September 22nd, 2011. The time was 17:29:04. The photo (bottom) was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of flickr.com and jordipostales.

Thank you, and

muchas gracias.

Gentrification

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Mallorca’s capital city is ever so slowly undergoing a process of gentrification. The Plaça Drassanes in Palma (Plaza Atarazanas) is a typical example for this development. A few years ago you could have had a Menu del Día here for as little as 6 € in a bar of long-standing. Now, it will be more like 16 €. The old-fashioned bar has disappeared. The building where the bar was located was acquired by a group of hotels a few years ago, wanting to convert the place into an upmarket boutique hotel. With the onset of La Crisis, plans had to be changed again. Now, the building shown here is earmarked to house one of Palma’s finest art galleries, Horrach Moyà.

The cosy little square, home to the office of the President of the Govern Balear and a number of government bodies, has already changed beyond recognition. New and fashionable bars and restaurants have sprung up, extending nocturnal activities of the nearby Sa Llotja district by half a mile. More changes are anticipated once the hype of the art market arrives, possibly before the end of this year, crisis or not.

The photo was taken in Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: September 16th, 2011. The time was 14:05:22.

The Nit de l’Art in Palma

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Thursday night was the big art event night in Palma de Mallorca, the annual Nit de l’Art. I never go to these events. I am more interested in art and the artists’ work and less in the social party gathering. I always go to the art event on the morning after the night. Then I am on my own with the artist’s output and I’m usually the only one in any of the galleries I go to. That way I can form an undisturbed opinion about what I like and what does not speak to me.

In a nutshell, I did not like a lot of what I saw in Palma’s galleries yesterday. I must admit, I did not make it to all of the shows on offer – there are about 20 gallery exhibitions plus 10 more at museums and institutions, and I only made it to about ten of them. But, still.

The presentation which impressed me most was one by Japanese artist, Atsuko Nakamura, at Galeria La Caja Blanca, in Palma’s Via Verí. La Caja Blanca is a relatively new gallery with a courageous programme of young, up and coming artists, such as Newsha Tavakolian from Teheran, Noa Lidor from Israel, or Federico Acal from Cádiz. I would recommend a visit to this gallery now or any time you are in the area. Atsuko Nakamura was born in 1982 in Kanazawa (Japan). She studied architecture at Musashino Art University in Tokyo as well as sculpture at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. You will hear more about this young talent, I am sure. Just watch out for her and visit the artist’s website, if you should feel so inclined.

Other exhibitions to be recommended of the current programme are Fabrizio Plessi’s Llaüts at La Llotja, Willy Baumeister’s paintings at the Fundación Juan March, Toni Catany’s photographs at the Galeria Ferran Cano, a group show called Afinidad & Diferencia at the Pelaires Centre Cultural Contemporaneo, Christian Boltanski’s installation at the Baluard, and that’s about it. Of course, you are allowed to differ and have your own tastes and preferences. There is no harm in different tastes whatsoever, certainly not within the art.

The photo (top) was taken in Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: September 16th, 2011. The time was 13:43:58. The photo (bottom) was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of atsukonakamuraarts.web.

Domo arigato.

The Coffered Mudéjar Ceiling in Alfàbia

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The Possessió d’Alfàbia is one of Mallorca’s great historic estates. The property is said to go back to a Moorish alquería and the 11th century when an Islamic Virrey, Ben-Abet, settled there on account of the discovery of an immensely abundant source of water. The house and its splendid gardens are listed as a Bien de Interés Cultural and as such enjoy Heritage protection.

I suppose that most visitors visit Alfàbia for its gardens but, the house itself is well worth a closer look as well. There is little left of the Islamic period: the property was extensively rebuilt after the Reconquista during the 13th century and again, during the 18th and 19th century. One main element still remaining from the Moorish period is a large coffered Mudéjar ceiling, said to be unique in Mallorca. The coffered ceiling is the work of Almohad craftsmen, built in 1170. It is carved in pine and holm-oak, with inlays forming beautiful arabesques. On the lower part the coats-of-arms of the Moorish families who lived on the estate are carved, and next to those, the emblems of Ben-Abet.

There are other large Artesonados Mudéjar (Moorish wooden ceilings) in Mallorca. Two of those in the possession of the town hall of Palma were sadly destroyed by a fire in a warehouse a few years ago. Beautiful Mudéjar ceilings can still be seen at the Palau de l’Almudaina in all their glory, and there is a large and very unique Mudéjar ceiling in the main house of the estate of Sa Bassa Blanca, the seat of the Fundació Jakober, near Alcúdia. Also, an impressive wooden Mudéjar ceiling can be found at the Palau del Rei Sanç in Valldemossa.

The photo was taken near Bunyola, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: September 8th, 2011. The time was 16:39:07.

Gargoyles In Palma

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On a walk through Palma, one can meet some wonderful sights. Palma is an incredibly beautiful city, not least for the fact that the city has preserved its character over the centuries, never suffering much aggression or major destruction. There are many beautiful buildings in architectural styles ranging from Gothic to Renaissance and Modernism, wide Avenidas and narrow streets, luscious parks and gardens, the majestic seafront, the skyline with towers, Miradors and turrets, the stunning Cathedral, the imposing Castell del Bellver.

Once you raise your eyes a bit higher, the sights get more wondrous. Suddenly, you might find Moorish heads, sphinxes, crocodiles, lions or dragons, the latter ones sculpted as gargoyles to divert the flow of rainwater from the gutter and away from the buildings’ walls.

The gargoyle shown in today’s picture is part of a set of newly cleaned, marvelous gargoyles at the Lonja de los Mercaderes, the Mediaeval stock exchange, when traded stock actually meant goods or merchandise such as gold, silk, spices, cotton, coffee, silver, you name it. The Lonja (Catalan: Llotja) is one of the masterpieces of Gothic architecture in Mallorca. It was built by Guillem Sagrera between 1420 and 1452. For some time, Sagrera also worked at Palma’s Cathedral, where you can find similar grotesquely carved animal bodies and fantasy figures, also acting as water spouts.

Next time you are in Palma, have a look up above.

The photo was taken in Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: July 1st, 2011. The time was 15:25:34.

The Deathbed of the Virgin Mary

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Religious art is omnipresent in Spain and in Mallorca, thanks to the influence of the Catholic Church and the opulence of its tradition. During the month of August, the festivity of the Mare de Déu d’Agost, also known as Mare de Déu de la Assumpció (Assumption of Virgin Mary), is being celebrated. The festivity is also called Dormició de Maria (Dormition of Mary). A number of churches in Palma as well as others in the outlying pueblos offer some elaborate displays of reclining statues of the sleeping virgin. In case you should be interested, you could consult the website of the Bisbat de Mallorca (Diocese in Mallorca) and click on the emblem L’Asumpcio de la Mare de Déu on the right hand column. There, you can download a leaflet in pdf format giving you detailed information in English, Catalan or Castilian about places and events in churches throughout Mallorca. Activities commenced earlier this week and will continue until August 23rd.

In Palma’s church of Sagrats Cors, Venezuelan artist Milton Becerra (Táchira, 1951) offers a contemporary installation of La Virgen que sueña (The Sleeping Virgin) (see photo). The church is situated behind the Casal Solleric, in Carrer Sant Gaietà, 9, not far from Jaime III in Palma’s city centre. The installation can be viewed daily (August 11th to 20th) between 11h00 and 13h00 and from 18h00 to 20hoo.

A deathbed of the Virgin Mary is also nicely presented in Palma’s La Seu Cathedral, albeit somewhat less modern, and another one at the Monestir de la Puríssima Concepció (Carrer Caputxines, 14), from the first half of the 20th century.

The photo was taken in Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: August 12th, 2011. The time was 12:44:41.