Category Archives: Museums

Fra Juníper Serra, the Mallorcan Missionary

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Fra Juníper Serra was born in the village of Petra on November 24th, 1713. Padre Serra was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 25th, 1988.

Mallorca is currently busy preparing commemorative acts for his tricentennial birthday, next year. Padre Serra left his natal Mallorca age 36 as a Franciscan missionary for the “New Spain” in Mexico and never returned to his native island. In the Americas, he founded missions in Alta California such as San Diego de Alcalá, San Gabriel Arcángel, San Francisco de Asís, and San Juan Capistrano, which eventually would become the cities of San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento.

Amongst a number of projects, a cinema film is presently in a phase of preproduction, launched by the Mallorca Film Commission, in collaboration with the Cluster Audiovisual de Baleares and the Mallorcan IB3 television channel, aiming to portray on-screen the life and vocation of the Mallorcan missionary. Let’s hope they can raise the finance. Michael Douglas once said, years ago, that he would be interested in bringing Juníper Serra’s biography to the screen.

The photo (top) was taken in Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: August 7th, 2012. The time was 15:11:01. The photo (bottom) was added as a postscript. It was taken in Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: August 22nd, 2012. The time was 12:40:00.

The Palau March in Palma

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The Palau March in Palma, near the Cathedral and the Palau de l’Almudaina, belongs to the Fundació Bartolomé March and was built in 1975. Tomeu March was the son of Juan March Ordinas, the founder of Banca March and erstwhile contrabandist, by many considered a crook. As it turns out, his younger son made a career away from the world of finance and became a philantropist, bibliophile, art collector and a generous patron of the arts.

The Fundació Bartolomé March was inaugurated in 2003 as a museum and as a library. The museum owns a collection of scultures by contemporary artists such as Henry Moore, Eduardo Chillida, Max Bill, Barbara Hepworth, Auguste Rodin and others, a collection of maps and portolan charts by Mallorcan cartographers from the 15th and 16th century, a beautiful 18th century nativity scene from Naples composed of 2,000+ pieces (photo bottom), as well as some imposing Mudéjar coffered ceilings (photo centre). It also houses some impressive salons and ceilings designed by Josep Maria Sert with impressive murals by him (photo top). There are also some prints by Salvador Dalí which I don’t consider of great importance.

The museum is certainly worth a visit. Opening hours are Mondays to Fridays, 10h00 to 18h30 (slightly shorter during the Winter months). Admission has gone up to 4.50 €. The library is in the same building but has a separate entrance and also, distinct opening hours: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 09h30 to 14h00, and Tuesdays and Thursdays, 16h00 to 20h00 (slightly shorter during the Summer months; August is closed altogether). The visit to the library is free of charge; admission is granted for the asking.

One more word on palaces in Mallorca. Many stately houses call themselves Palau or Palacio or are called so by the public, such as the Palacete in the case of a former president. But strictly speaking, there are only two palaces in all of Mallorca entitled to that denomination, that of the Spanish king and that of the Mallorcan bishop. So, Palau March is a bit of a misnomer.

The photos were taken in Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: August 7th, 2012. The time was 13:42:30, 14:21:29 and 14:25:26, respectively.

The Old Alcúdia Power Station

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I wonder if you sometimes are curious about where all the energy comes from that is being consumed here in Mallorca in an ever-increasing rate of mega watts. Yes, you flip the light switch or press a button, but where does the juice actually come from?

The Central Térmica Alcúdia (the old Alcúdia Power Station) near the port of Alcúdia was Mallorca’s main power station from the Sixties to the late Nineties when it was replaced by another plant, called Es Murterar, also in the area of Alcúdia, near the lagoon. The old Alcúdia Power Station was built under Franco in 1957. Electrical energy was produced by way of coal firing, hence its position near the coast. Coal was transported from the Spanish mainland to the Port d’Alcúdia by ship, and still is. The new Es Murterar power plant is also fed with coal.

Currently, there are four thermal power plants on Mallorca, Es Murterar, Son Reus, Cas Tresorer and Son Molinos. Since last year, there is also a connection to the mainland by under-water cable.

Nowadays, the old Alcúdia Power Station is a bit of an eye-sore, especially as it is situated in a rather popular tourist area. A few years ago, a competition was held, designs were drawn up and a winning entry was selected. Plans were approved to convert this power plant into an industrial museum. Of course, there is no money available now for any such fancy plans. I hope the architects, Alonso Hernández y Asociados from Pamplona, got paid for their winning entry (photo bottom).

The photos were borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of diariodemallorca.es and Comunicació Endesa (top), abandonadoporelhombre.blogspot.com.es (centre top and centre bottom) and ahasociados.com (bottom).

Muchas gracias.

The Carthusian Apothecary

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When the Kingdom of Mallorca ceased to exist, the royal palace Palau del Rei Sanç in Valldemossa was ceded to the church and in 1399 it was transformed into a Carthusian monastery known as Cartoixa de Valldemossa. The monks were forced to relinquish the monastery after just over 400 years when the Ecclesiastical Confiscations of Mendizabal dispossessed a large number of church properties in 1835. The property passed into private ownership shortly before Frederik Chopin and George Sand arrived in the Winter of 1838. Today the Cartoixa serves as a museum, not least for its association with King Sancho and Chopin. Amongst many intriguing aspects of the Cartoixa I would like to highlight the old apothecary shop or pharmacy. The pharmacy was installed by the monks during the 17th century. Old bottles, potions, balances and medicinal instruments of the period are well-preserved, including some 135 ceramic jars from the 18th century (see photo).

The photo was taken in Valldemossa, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: April 17th, 2012. The time was 12:59:22.

Dead as a Dodo

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The Museu de Mallorca is a national museum and as such comes under the responsibility of the Directorio de Museos y Colecciones de España, a department of the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, a ministry of the Gobierno de España, the Spanish Government.

The museum in Palma is in a 16th century mansion popularly known as Casa de la Gran Cristiana, not far from the bishop’s palace, somewhere behind the Cathedral. Don’t go there because you will find that the place is closed for the public and access has been unavailable for five years now. You could say that the place is dead as a dodo, totally unrelated to the current economic crisis. You would think that instead one could at least consult the website of the museum and would find information there. But no, that one is dead as well. None of the site’s links function, with only one exception. The last update was made in 2006, it seems.

You would normally find some interesting archaeological finds at the Museu de Mallorca, pertaining to the island’s Talayotic period, the Roman era as well as the Islamic phase and the Mediaeval history. The museum normally also houses some fine art from the 15th to the 20th century, plus a collection of books and documents.

If you have followed events on this MDPB you might be aware that some museum pieces are now on temporary display at the Centre de Cultura SA NOSTRA, in Calle Concepción. That one is well worth a visit but, if you have ever been to the Museu de Mallorca, don’t expect to find more than a mere fragment of its exhibits at the SA NOSTRA exhibition.

The Museu de Mallorca has a secondary building in Muro: an ethnological section, where some of the every-day-objects on display relate to Mallorca before the age of tourism. There is a further museum branch in Alcúdia: a Roman archaeology section, known as the Museu Monogràfic de Pollença, showing remnants found at the Roman city of Pollentia. I would recommend visits to those museum offshoots as well, should you be in the area and should you be so inclined.

The photos were chosen from my archive. They were taken in Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: May 18th, 2004. The time was 13:34:43 and 13:28:42, respectively.

Walking on Ice

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An art exhibition was opened last week at Sa Llotja in Palma. I did not go to the opening. I never go to openings; I make it my habit to go the next day, or a few days later, to have my encounter with the artwork and the artist’s ambitions in peace and on my own, unfettered by the art circuit crowd who sees openings as a social event where it is important to be seen at the right place with the right people and where the art on show usually comes second, if that.

The exhibition is by Mallorcan artist, Bernardí Roig, and is called Walking on Faces. It felt a bit like Walking on Ice to me, because, believe me, it is one thing to look at the portrait of a person, and quite a different sensation to walk straight over it. As it were, we were invited to walk over close to 2,000 faces, because that is the number of participants in that project, all people from and residents in or visitors to Palma last April.

Apart from a certain hesitation of trampling upon other people’s vulnerability, I don’t really know what to think of Señor Roig’s artistic inclinations. It may be a bit of a flat idea in more ways than one. But, hey, let me also say one thing: I have been to some 30 art exhibitions at Sa Llotja over the last 25 years. And for sure, none of the previous artists paid as much homage to and showed as much respect for this Gothic location by the hand of a genius, Guillem Sagrera (1380-1456), as has done Bernardí Roig, and I would applaud him for that.

The Mediaeval trade exchange was closed for three years for some extensive restoration work. Since it has been reopened, the place was only open for a couple of days to be shown and presented in its new glory. Then an art installation was presented last year, Llaüts Light, by Fabricio Plessi. The installation was fabulous but one could see nothing of the building’s splendid interior as the setting was all dark and blue. After that show, the Llonja was closed again, until now. I would recommend a visit to the Walking on Faces exhibition for two reasons: go, if you are interested in one of the finest buildings in Palma, in fact, in all of Mallorca. And go, if you should have presented yourself as one of the 1,878 faces participating. It sure is a nice feeling to be part of a larger project in such a prime location. You may have to spend quite some time before you find your portrait, but if you do, your face will light up, I am sure of that. If none of the above applies, go anyway. Walking on thousands of largely anonymous identities is perhaps part of the creative project of this exhibition. If nobody goes and treads on the faces, no wear and tear will occur and perhaps that deterioration is needed before one can see more than the flatness that is so obvious at this moment in time.

The photos were taken in Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: July 10th, 2012. The time was 19:46:02 and 19:50:49, respectively.

Palma Photo 2012

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Palma Photo 2012 was inaugurated one week ago, June 21st. Twenty galleries and museums dedicate some or all of their exhibition spaces to photography. Some of the photographic work is truly inspiring. At the CaixaForum, for instance, you can see some somber images of religious rites in Spain during the 1970s and ’80s (see photo above). At the Baluard Museu d’Art, portraits and still lifes are presented from the hand – and the eye – of Tony Catany, one of the most outstanding photographers alive in Mallorca (see photo below). Other galleries and exhibition spaces are: Aba Art, Altair, La Caja Blanca, Ferran Cano, Casal Solleric, Xavier Fiol, Maior, Horrach Moyá, Joan Oliver, Pelaires CCC, Fran Reus, SKL, Ses Voltes, Gabriel Vanrell, etc. Most exhibitions will be open until well into July. You could go and indulge yourself visually.

Artists participating in PalmaPhoto 2012 include: Toni Amengual, Nobuyoshi Araki, Adam Ball, Jordi Bernardó, Pepe Cañabate, Toni Catany, Diana Coca, Mitos Colom, Jorge Cosmen, Elger Esser, Nando Esteva, Alicia Framis, Alberto Garcia-Alix, Cristina García Rodero, Pabo Genovés, Susi Gómez, Fernando Guijar, Maria Hook, María Juarros, Nuri Llompart, Andrés López, Robert Mapplethorpe, Almagul Menlibayeva, López Moral, Joan Morey, Antonio Navarro, Cecilia Paredes, Teresa Pou, Lluís Real, Javier Saguillo, Charles Sandinson, Amparo Sard, Eulàlia Valldosera, Gori Vicens and Massimo Vitali.

The photo (top) was taken in Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: June 27th, 2012. The time was 17:56:40. The images (centre and bottom) were borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of esbaluard.org and palmaphoto.es.

Moltes gràcies, and

muchas gracias.

The Church of Nuestra Señora de la Porciúncula

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The church of Portiuncula in Playa de Palma is really called Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de la Porciúncula. The temple is also known as Iglesia de Cristal (Glass Church).

The church and its monastic annex were built in 1964 and inaugurated in 1968. Originally, the complex was conceived as a seminary to prepare students for priesthood. Somehow, over the years, the Catholic church in Spain and in Mallorca has suffered a set-back, though, and monasteries, convents, monks, nuns and priests in general are now on the decline. I am not sure where the few candidates who nowadays elect clergy as a professional career are being taught; I suppose it might be at the Seminari Nou round the corner from Carrer de Monti-sion in Palma’s old town.

The Portiuncula church is of a circular shape; its main feature are the 39 stained glass windows designed by Juan Bautista Castro, a painter. The visual effects are quite stunning. You should go and have a look. There is also a Museo de la Porciúncula offering archeological titbits, ethnological oddities and a hodgepodge of numismatic items, recommended really only for its odd eccentricity. If you want to have a look at perhaps 300 maggot-eaten Cuban cigars, this is where you will find them, neatly arranged in glass display cases.

Occasionally, concerts are held here and not only of a religious content. The acoustic qualities of the church are quite remarkable. Again, if you would have the opportunity to attend, I feel you might not be disappointed.

The photos were taken near Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: May 25th, 2012. The time was 18:52:58, 18:21:09 and 18:30:21, respectively.

The Museo de Mallorca

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One of the most interesting museums in Mallorca is the Museo de Mallorca. Sadly, this museum is closed for a total overhaul and has been closed for over three years now. What a shame.

But, as luck would have it, somebody had a brilliant idea. A large number of emblematic exhibits from the Museo de Mallorca were moved to a temporary exhibition at the Centre Cultural Sa Nostra, in Carrer Concepció in Palma, and will be on display there until the Museo de Mallorca reopens.

The presentation at Sa Nostra‘s Cultural Centre comes under the heading Essència i Presència del Museu de Mallorca (Essence and Presence of the Museum of Mallorca). The exhibition is composed of three hundred and fifty works, from a selection of periods, cultures and styles, and can be admired from Monday to Saturday, 10h00 to 21h00.

The cultural centre is located in a building known as Can Castelló, dating from the 18th century. The building is worth a visit in its own right for its architecture, its typical eighteenth century courtyard with arches and Ionic columns of red marble, a remarkable staircase and some beautiful ceiling murals from the nineteenth century. Admission is free.

The photo (top) was chosen from my archive. It was taken in Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: February 17th, 2009. The time was 13:08:31. The photo (bottom) was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of obrasocialsanostra.com.

Moltes de gràcies.

World Art Day

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The International Association of Art (UNESCO/IAA World Art Association) has declared tomorrow, April 15th, 2012 the first World Art Day. Apparently, the event will be celebrated worldwide. April 15th happens to be the date when Leonardo da Vinci was born (in 1452). It also happens to be the birthday of my mother, not related to da Vinci and not really related to art. Please, do not confuse this World Art Day with the International Museum Day which is celebrated on or around May 18th.

For the occasion, I delved into my photo archive and found an image of an installation created by the Italian artist, Fabrizio Plessi. The work was installed at the Aljub in Palma’s Es Baluard Museu d’Art Modern i Contemporani in 2004, called Il lavatori dell’anima, a modified version of an earlier installation called Bombay-Bombay. In 2011, Plessi did a rather splendid installation at Palma’s Llotja (Llaüt Light). The artist has lived and worked in Mallorca for a good twenty years, albeit on an intermittent basis. He owns a house on the island. He does not currently exhibit on the island but, he has one piece on permanent exhibition (Waterfall) at the Fundación Yannick y Ben Jakober in Sa Bassa Blanca near Alcúdia that you could visit at the International Museum Day in May, for instance.

The photo was chosen from my archive. It was taken in Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: October 8th, 2004. The time was 20:00:14.