Gallery

GONZALO GUZMÁN. Dolmen_04 and his oneiric journeys

Posted on by SEO Senda

An onironaut who makes his dreams tangible. In a few words, this is how we could define Gonzalo Guzmán, the artist from Madrid who bases his sculptural work on the oneiric study of his dreams. Guzmán trained as an industrial designer and, since the pandemic, has dedicated his time to the art of sculpture. During that period of social isolation, Gonzalo Guzmán began to experience lucid dreams, a state of momentary disconnection between body and mind in which the subject is aware that he is living a dream and can therefore control it. Since then, his artistic project has been growing and exploring new horizons.

Dreams, his object of study

It is when he closes his eyes and dreams that Guzmán finds the meaning and inspiration for his works. In his dreams, the artist interacts with megalithic metallic structures that give him a very deep sense of peace. Menhirs and dolmens that, although they look like abstract bodies, are figurative pieces because they copy what the artist sees in his dreams. Guzmán chooses stainless steel because he seeks to emulate the metallic material with which he interacts in his dreamlike journeys. In addition, for practicality, this type of metal is resistant to the exterior, which is essential in order to be faithful to what he had previously dreamed. Stainless steel is the ideal material for his structures, as it offers him the necessary technical and visual properties to build his pieces.

Guzmán’s dream ritual

Gonzalo Guzmán, in an interview for Metal magazine, explains the mental process he carries out to connect with his dreams. He talks about the state of “duermevela”, a state of disconnection where the body remains asleep, but the mind remains awake. As bodily movements and sensations are cancelled out, they intensify in the head, and that is when the dream adventure begins. The trick, according to Guzmán, is to have a clear objective when dreaming. “[…] it is easier to experience these dreams if you have a goal, if during the day you are motivated by thinking about having a lucid dream, and you set yourself something you would like to accomplish within the dream.”

In Gonzalo Guzmán‘s case, his goal when dreaming is to better understand the meaning of these structures he sees in his dreams and to interact with them again. His ritual begins at four in the morning at the sound of his alarm. The artist half wakes up and does a series of exercises in that drowsy state that make it easier for him to begin to experience lucid dreaming when he goes back to sleep.

Exhibitions and participations

Gonzalo Guzmán has exhibited his pieces in different parts of the world such as Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the United Kingdom, among many other places. His most recent solo show is the exhibition “Colisión” (2023) at Galeria SENDA, framed within the Art Nou festival, an emerging art festival in Barcelona and Hospitalet de Llobregat that offers the possibility for young national and international artists to establish their first professional relationships in the art market, galleries, self-managed spaces and institutions dedicated to emerging art. The central piece of the exhibition and the one that attracted the most attention was an installation composed of the representation of a three-metre stainless steel stalactite that was suspended from the ceiling of the gallery on a reflective surface. The reflection of the stalactite on the surface generated the optical illusion that there was also a second stalactite about to touch the suspended one. The strength of the composition lies in the closeness of an impossible collision, hence the name of the exhibition.

In the context of art fairs, Guzmán has participated in a couple so far this year. Firstly, his dreamlike works made a visit to ARCO Madrid along with other artists from the gallery in a leading art scene. In addition, recently, his pieces were also exhibited at the SENDA stand at the Art Brussels fair. 

Dolmen_04 and its link with the Meeting of the Círculo de Economía

On the occasion of this year’s 39th Meeting of the Círculo de Economía, framed under the title “The world on trial. Strategies to boost productivity and well-being in times of change”, the work Dolmen_04 by Gonzalo Guzmán will have a special place at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya. 

This structure shares a close link with the theme of the symposia at this meeting. We often need to go back to our origins to see how far we have come. Raimon wrote that he who loses his origins loses his identity. Perhaps what he meant in this verse is that those who have abandoned their history are not capable of understanding their present in all its grandeur, nor will they be able to face the challenges of the future in all their complexity.

Dolmen_04 takes us from the origins of humanity to the most rabid present in fractions of a second. In the blink of an eye. The dolmen is a quantum object, which seems to be in two different spaces at the same time: physically planted in this meeting space and, with its infinite reflection, in our deepest vision of ourselves. And it is quantum also because it occupies two different places in space/time. Art challenges, as much or more than physics, our perception of the universe and is able to make us perceive an object, like this Dolmen_04, in two very different moments in the history of mankind.

A sample of these first and rudimentary architectural constructions that man built can be seen here today transformed into a modern object, without losing its prehistoric symbolism. We find it here, in a place where the most mundane humans reflect on the present and the future, and its vision challenges us and announces to us where we come from, lest by having our feet on the ground we lose our origins and forget that humanity, since its beginnings, has always wanted to rise above the most mundane reality, and find, wherever it is, a spiritual meaning in the routine moments that we live every day.

That is why this dolmen of the 21st century takes us back to our ancestors and wants to remind all of us gathered here that outside, not so far from here, there is another world. A world created, among others, by hundreds of millions of years of artists, writers, sculptors, musicians, etc., and also by ordinary people, the common citizen who goes to work every day and who, in some way, has to be present in our discussions. Because, in the end, we all have to work for the common man, for the human race in its entirety. This dolmen transports us to the millenary history of the human race, of ordinary people.

A dolmen has landed in these days as an artist’s piece that summarises this journey from antiquity to modernity in tenths of a second and reminds us that this journey would not have been possible without the people in the street, without those who work and produce, who, in short, must always be the main actor in human progress. Let’s keep him here, let’s see him, and let’s never forget why he is here. His work, his production and his creativity is our future.

A small sample of his dreams

Here is a small selection of works by Gonzalo Guzmán that evoke those induced dreams that the artist creates from scratch in his mind.

SANDRA VÁSQUEZ DE LA HORRA receives the Käthe Kollwitz Award

Posted on by SEO Senda

From Galeria SENDA, we are pleased to announce that Chilean artist Sandra Vásquez de la Horra has been awarded the Käthe Kollwitz Award. For those who don’t know about the history of this annual award, it was born in 1960 and is named after the German artist Käthe Kollwitz. Kollwitz was a painter, sculptor and printmaker in the realist movement, who was very socially committed to this style during the 19th century and who embraced expressionism in the early 20th century. The Akademie der Künste – Berlin Academy of Arts – has awarded its prize this year to Vásquez de la Horra, who has been living in Germany since 1995.

More about the artist

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra, born in 1967 in Viña del Mar (Chile), graduated in Visual Communication at the University of Design in her hometown and subsequently completed her studies in Fine Arts at the Academy of Art in Düsseldorf (Germany). Abroad, in 2002, he studied photography, film and new media at the Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln – Academy of Visual Arts in Cologne. It should also be noted that since he moved to Germany in 1995, he has continued to produce his work from Berlin. Therefore, we can observe the great esteem and the indissoluble bond that the artist and the German country have created after years of living and creating new projects from there.

This year, Vásquez de la Horra has exhibited at the Goethe-Institut in Santiago de Chile and in 2022 she participated in the 59th Venice Biennale. The artist has already been honoured with extensive solo exhibitions such as the one at the Denver Art Museum with “The Awake Volcanoes” (2024) or, for example, the one held at the gallery, “Aura” (2022). 

Why Vásquez de la Horra’s personal style

In Vásquez de la Horra‘s works, the artist uses wax crayon to construct a dark imaginary that evokes an imaginary and fantastical world that touches on subversive themes such as religion, mythology, sex, popular culture, social networks and death. Through this dystopian execution, the spectator is introduced into a universe of fictitious and enchanted creatures characterised by carnal and psychological concerns, a resource that Vásquez de la Horra uses to make us reflect on social issues that affect us directly, although we often leave them aside. Therefore, we could say that she is an artist whose visual language thematises the conflicts faced by today’s society.

Her works bring together a series of archetypes of the collective consciousness, questions of gender and sexuality, intercultural reflections and themes of spiritual practices. The reason for this artistic discourse that is so rooted in social protest can be explained when one gets to know the artist’s biography. Vásquez de la Horra grew up in an era which, following the coup d’état of the Chilean military junta in 1973 and the seizure of power by Augusto Pinochet, was dominated by torture, repression, disappearances and numerous human rights violations for more than seventeen years.

With the return of democracy in 1990, the population was able to digest and come to terms with the country’s history, the imprint of which can be seen in Sandra Vásquez de la Horra‘s artwork. In addition to showing the barbarities that her country experienced, her projects depict family confrontations, the mythologies of the indigenous population and the colonial domination of Europeans in Central and South America.

The drawings Vásquez de la Horra creates are both small and large format, on paper and cardboard, and are characterised by their density, colours and precision. Some of his creations are dipped in wax, a treatment that adds depth to the drawing and allows him to construct three-dimensional works in the form of an accordion.

Prize and celebration

On the occasion of the award ceremony of the Käthe Kollwitz Award 2023, the Akademie der Künste will exhibit a selection of Vásquez de la Horra‘s works; a total of more than 60 drawings, photographs and objects that will be exhibited in a site-specific installation. The ceremony will take place at the Akademie der Künste itself on 18 June at 7 p.m. and the special exhibition will be open to the public from 19 June to 25 August.

A new doctorate for JAUME PLENSA

Posted on by SEO Senda

Currently, in the art world, one of the names that resonates most is that of the famous artist Jaume Plensa. After a long career full of successes in various artistic fields, Plensa has become an example of a multidisciplinary artist, having left his personal mark in many of the existing artistic disciplines. From his enormous sculptural productions to his symbolic paintings, and even the arduous task of setting the stage for an opera at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, we can see that Jaume Plensa has dared all kinds of artistic adventures that have made him the international artist that we all know.

His artistic narrative

His work made an impact on the other side of the pond thanks to his interactive video sculpture «Crown Fountain», located in Chicago’s Millennium Park. This production managed to catapult his international fame, a clear example being the large number of Plensa‘s works housed in institutions and countries around the world such as «Endless» at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art (USA), «Wonderland» in Calgary (Canada) or «Nomade» in Antibes (France). His sculptures and public art installations, for which he is mostly known, always invite to silent contemplation, to connect with spirituality, with the body and with the collective memory. His pieces incite deep reflection and establish a necessary dialogue between the individual and his critical spirit, in order to make visible social issues such as the violation of human rights, oppression, inequalities or injustices.

To convey all this narrative based on awareness, a common point that connects all his projects is the monumentality that surrounds all his works. Not only when talking about their dimensions, but rather when trying to understand the reason for this grandeur that makes us feel part of the social struggle. His faces with closed eyes, his sculptures of pensive bodies or his installations composed with letters of various alphabets, are the proof of a humanity that must activate the five senses, meditate on the context that surrounds it and dissolve borders to unite in the same language: that of harmony and peace.

Prizes and awards

For all these reasons, it is not strange to think that Jaume Plensa has been awarded on several occasions, both for his artistic and social work. Here in Spain he has been awarded nothing more and nothing less than the Premi Nacional d’Arts Plàstiques de la Generalitat de Catalunya (1997), the Premio Nacional de Artes Plásticas de España (2012) or the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes del Ministerio de Cultura (2021), along with other personalities from the art world such as the actor Javier Bardem or the musical group Amaral. However, in this blog we want to celebrate and congratulate Jaume Plensa on receiving his fourth honorary degree, this time from the University of Notre-Dame (Indiana, USA). Other doctorates Plensa has been awarded by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2005), the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (2018) and the Universidad Internacional Méndez Pelayo (2022).

From Galeria SENDA we want to give a warm applause to this Catalan artist who has managed to break boundaries and expose an art designed to be shown to the world. So that his works continue to impact the lives of many people and urban scenarios in all countries of the world. So that the narratives of his projects and the impact they have on our society continue to be awarded.

When movement becomes form. The Poststructuralist Photographic Art of Xavi Bou – by Uta M. Reindl

Posted on by SEO Senda

Mostly black lines of captivating geometry snake or swirl, some even in several strands, across the monochrome image grounds of the photographs — making one think of abstract drawings or paintings. The almost artificial perfection of the minimalist formations, however, gives the impression that they are mathematically generated. Yet the enigmatic structures show flight figures of birds recorded in the old method of chronophotography and modern computer technology. The Barcelona-born artist Xavi Bou has decontextualized them in the sense that they unfold on a cloudless sky, which he has transformed into a canvas through appropriate digital processing. According to the photographer, his fascination with birds and their movement is rooted in his childhood. Growing up in El Prat de Llobregat on the southern outskirts of Barcelona, allowed him to take countless walks in nature with his bird-loving grandfather. His great interest in nature remained with him even after his studies in geography and photography and during his stage working in the fashion photography sector. Soon after his debut in 2015, the artist received praise from numerous publications in daily newspapers or magazines of different orientations worldwide.

Fotografía de Xavi Bou que captura la forma del vuelo de los pájaros. En este caso son Cuervos y la fotografía se tomó en Manlleu, Cataluña

From an art-historical point of view, such a concentration on non-figurative representations began in Germany in the 1950s with “subjective photography”; it brings to mind its inventor Otto Steinert, who depicted reality without narrating, documented in a reportage-like manner and placed ornamentation as an external phenomenon in the picture. Incidentally, a similar case was that of the Catalan photographer Marcel Giró, who emigrated to Brazil. Xavi Bou is familiar with Eadweard Muybridge’s purely scientific chronophotography, which somehow is related to his ornithographic approach.

Meanwhile, Xavi Bou has given shape to the movements of numerous bird species in his ornithographic works, as well as exploring the medium of photography to visualize and archive these flowing and fluctuating energies. This, in the whole series and in concept, is quite like the photo archive of international utility buildings by the artist couple Hilla and Bernd Becher, which is more poststructuralist-conservationist than system-critical. Similarly, Bou strives to ensure that the beauty of the abstract formations he puts into the picture always allows for open reading. In other words: only a few of the lines drawn by birds with their flight figures, as well as the tangle of lines of entire flocks of birds, reveal their creators. This is true of the goldfinches appearing in the picture amidst the swirls of ochre lines —becoming the artist’s least appreciated photographic works precisely because of its clear legibility. Xavi Bou sees himself as a “curator” who tracks down the choreography of birds and makes it visible.” Very rarely, therefore, landscapes or cloud formations in the sky remain visible on the monochrome image backgrounds at the bottom of the picture and may hardly contribute to deciphering the actual image subject without relevant background knowledge.

The amazing geometry, precision, and complexity of the birds’ flight figures have been occupying the 43-year-old artist for around ten years now, and many of the cooperation partners for his artistic work are recruited from the bird world, or rather tracked down. Sparrows, swallows, swifts, seagulls, starlings, but also flamingos or eagles as well as other birds of prey… He finds them not only in the wild – very often nearby or even in places like Gibraltar or Iceland – but surprisingly also in the Gracia quarter in the heart of Barcelona.

This short film has emerged from Xavi Bou’s artistic residence with the UCLouvain university in Belgium within the Reveal Flight project.

In his videos, the artist records the collective development of bird flight lines, an entire bird migration, while he underlays the sequences with original sound or music composed by one of the artist’s friends. In the future, Bou plans to expand his archival practice with a new series of photographs — through sculptural abstractions, by using footage of insects in motion, and then digitally manipulating them to appear both three-dimensional and in the natural coloring of the animals.

Galeria SENDA at Art Brussels 2024

Posted on by SEO Senda

For the 40th edition of Art Brussels, we have been selected for the “REDISCOVERY” section by the Art Brussels Committee, composed of Belgian and international gallerists. On this occasion, we bring back the unclassifiable Zush/Evru, to whom we dedicate the exhibition “Back to being” (2020) after eight years of absence by the artist. The “REDISCOVERY” section is dedicated to underrated, undervalued or forgotten artists of the 20th century, living or deceased. It aims to explore and highlight surprising, unknown and original practices that have not yet entered the mainstream of art history.

The human condition through dreams seen by three generations of artists

It is a pleasure to participate again in Art Brussels, as it presents a strong, international program and a unique mix of established artists and emerging talents that align with our vision. In addition to the “REDISCOVERY” section, the galleries have been divided into three more sections: PRIME, DISCOVERY, INVITED and the SOLO subsection of the fair.

In addition to having a special section to put the focus back on the work of Zush/Evru, we added Sandra Vásquez de la Horra and Gonzalo Guzmán, thus creating a dialogue between three artists of three different generations who address realities of the human condition that are not obvious. Very personal visions of the subconscious. Their own experiences serve as an engine to create unique and personal dream worlds that open spaces for reflection.

Zush/Evru

The personal aesthetic universe of the Barcelona-born artist who, under different names – Albert Porta, Zush and now Evru – has been the protagonist since the sixties of an itinerary that takes us through the most innovative expressive supports. His fluid work is rooted in his even more fluid persona, which has given rise to the Evrugian Mental State, a self-sufficient imaginary world in which he often resides to reflect on concepts such as identity, otherness and the state of being. His artworks act as tangible mediators between the audience and the dreams, emotions, creatures and beings that reside in his dream world. His work blurs the planes of dream and reality with an expression close to surrealism.

Picture of a figure doing a yoga posture

Zush/Evru. Admukarud (2008)

82,8 x 174,2 cm

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra

As a complement to Zush/Evru, Sandra Vásquez de la Horra (Viña del Mar, Chile, 1967) proceeds to work on the plane of her imagination. Her characteristic wax drawings, which could be seen in the exhibition “Meridians” (2018) and “Aura” (2022), evoke a dreamlike state of emotion and fantasy, where her internal expression deals with subversive themes of religion, sex, mythology, death and personal experiences.

Both Vasquez de la Horra and Zush share an interest in the dreamlike and the surreal, but approach these subjects from different perspectives. While Vasquez de la Horra focuses on exploring the deeper aspects of the human unconscious and deconstructing cultural taboos, Zush immerses himself in creating his own alternative worlds. However, both artists share an innate ability to capture the essence of the unreal and the fantastic in their works, inviting the viewer to reflect on the nature of reality and imagination. Like Zush/Evru, Vasquez de la Horra‘s work is rooted in the desire to embody and understand the intangible inner state.

A person looking at an exhibition of drawings hanging on a white wall

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra. “Aura”‘s exhibition view

Wax drawings

Gonzalo Guzmán

Finally, to link the dialogue, we contrast the work of these established artists with one of our latest additions to the gallery, which we exhibited during Art Nou 2023 with the exhibition “Collision“. 

Trained as an industrial designer, Gonzalo Guzmán (Madrid, 1991) began to dedicate himself to sculpture in the wake of the pandemic. During that time of chaos and uncertainty, he experienced “lucid dreams” in which he was aware of living his own dream and could control its development. In these dreams, dolmen-like figures repeatedly appeared to him and served as inspiration. The shaping of these forms in sculptures is a way of research to transfer them to reality. That is to say, the fact of materializing them makes it possible for Guzmán to interact with them on the real plane and at the same time for other people to do so. 

To intertwine Gonzalo Guzmán‘s work with that of Zush/Evru, we can highlight how both artists explore the intersection between the tangible world and the world of dreams. Both challenge the conventional perception of reality and lead us to reflect on the limits of imagination and artistic materialization. While Zush/Evru shows us the landscapes of our dreams, Guzmán offers us the opportunity to touch those ephemeral forms and bring them into the physical world.

Person and white dog in front of a steel sculpture

Gonzalo Guzmán. Dolmen_04 (2022)

190 x 270 x 100 cm

See you at Art Brussels!

For all these reasons, we are pleased to announce our twenty-first participation in the 40th edition of Art Brussels. This prestigious fair is one of the most recognized in Europe and an event marked in our calendar. With a wide variety of proposals, it represents the cultural and artistic richness of the European scene that attracts many collectors, curators, galleries, art professionals from all over the world. This year, the fair will take place at the Brussels Expo, in Halls 5 and 6, and you can find us at stand 5A-22.

«Exploding Cell» by Peter Halley, pioneer of digital art

Posted on by SEO Senda

For this last edition of ARCO Madrid, we were especially excited to present the artist from the gallery Peter Halley as a special guest in our Artist Project space, with a solo show that connects his past stages with his most recent work. In this exhibition, ARCO visitors were able to analyze in detail the artist’s most emblematic piece, which we will talk about in depth in this blog: «Exploding Cell» (1983).

The first steps towards digital art

Firstly, it is essential to know that «Exploding Cell» is the artist’s only moving image work. In fact, Halley‘s skill in creating this animated work has made him a pioneer of digital art at a time when it was unthinkable to consider any other type of art than manual. Let’s remember that the first PCs, as we know them today, were born in the 1980s. Therefore, Halley demonstrates with his ingenuity and his revolutionary artistic proposal for that decade, characterized by being premature in the technological field, that the horizons of art are inscrutable.

Image of a television and a painting in an art exhibition

«Exploding Cell» in the Artist Project space at ARCO Madrid

What does «Exploding Cell» represent?

«Exploding Cell» shows, in a two-minute animation, a horizon of cells lined up from left to right. Below these appear a black duct illuminated by a glowing gas that escapes through a chimney before the cell turns red and explodes, leaving a considerable amount of ash that flickers with a stroboscopic effect. Aware of the social context of the time, this work has been enshrined as an allegory for the threat of nuclear destruction caused by the greatest geopolitical conflict of that era: the Cold War.

“The idea had something to do with Cold War politics and the threat of nuclear destruction. Initially, the exploding cell had to do with the end of civilization. But the exploding cell narrative quickly became part of my work. As time went on, the narrative became less and less important to me, and eventually I began to focus solely on the icon of the explosion. The more I think about it, the more I become convinced that the explosion is also a central image of our culture. It goes back a hundred years to the beginning of modern warfare and terrorism. I have used the image of the explosion over and over again in my digital wall prints, in contrast to the cells and prisons that appear in my paintings.”

Peter Halley

Considering the story behind this animation, the cells seen in «Exploding Cell», as the artist explains, represent confinement, but also allude to order, a classical order that does not change. On the other hand, the explosion that gives its name to the title of the work is synonymous with change and refers to a transformation between a harmonious state and an altered one. This juxtaposition of concepts presents two opposing attitudes, confronting each other in order to win. The dichotomy between order and change is the contrast that Peter Halley wanted to reflect in this digital artwork in order to show in a simpler way the horrors that a strategic war like the Cold War plunged both East and West.

An award-winning work

Such is the prestige of this work that during this edition of ARCO Madrid, «Exploding Cell» has been recognized with the ARCO/Beep Award for electronic art. This award aims to promote research, production and exhibition of art linked to new digital technologies or electronic art as such. The ARCO/Beep Award has already generated a collection of more than 120 works by 86 different artists, becoming an initiative that is an international reference.

Imagen de unas manos colocando un cartel blanco sobre una pared naranja

XIX ARCO/Beep Award of Electronic art

If you want to know more about «Exploding Cell» you can download below the dossier about the work, or you can contact us and ask for more information about it.

Download Dossier «Exploding Cell»
Contact the gallery

Taking small steps towards a sustainable art world at ARCO Madrid

Posted on by SEO Senda

ARCO Madrid is an obligatory annual event that we have been attending for more than 30 years, but this year we were not satisfied with doing things the same way as always. In this edition, we opted for a new way of participating that was more sustainable, and we assumed our responsibility towards the environment.

Waste reduction

One of the most significant challenges we face as exhibitors at fairs is the transportation and packaging of artwork. Not only is this process crucial to ensure the safety of the pieces, but it can also generate a lot of waste, especially plastics.

This year, we set out to address this challenge differently, with a focus on sustainability and waste reduction. One of the first steps we took was to replace traditional plastic packaging with recycled cardboard boxes and blankets. Previously, paintings and sculptures used to be wrapped in bubble wrap for protection during transport. However, this year, we made a cardboard box specifically for each of the paintings and carefully packed the sculptures with blankets. This simple choice allowed us to significantly reduce our plastic footprint and still ensure the safety of the works. In addition, by using recycled cardboard, we are supporting the circular economy and encouraging more sustainable practices throughout our supply chain.

Reusing resources: the second life of carpeting

In addition, we had the opportunity to reuse the carpet that covered part of the fair. This carpet, which would otherwise have been discarded at the end of the event, was a valuable source of material for us. Thanks to the collaboration with the ARCO organization, they allowed us to take this carpet and give it a second life. Now, this recycled carpet is being used to wrap our sculptures during transport. Its soft, cushioned texture provides excellent protection for the artworks, ensuring that they arrive at their destination in perfect condition.

Committed to a sustainable future in the art world

The art world faces significant challenges in terms of sustainability. From the intensive use of resources in the production of artworks to the generation of waste during packaging and transportation, many practices in the industry are not environmentally friendly. In addition, the organization of exhibitions and art events can have a significant impact in terms of energy consumption and waste generation. However, as awareness of the importance of sustainability grows, so does the number of individuals and organizations within the art world that are committed to more environmentally friendly practices. With measures such as the reuse of materials and the adoption of renewable energy, efforts are being made to make the art world more sustainable.

We understand that every small action counts when it comes to protecting our planet, and we are committed to doing our part as members of the artistic community. By taking concrete steps to reduce our environmental impact and promote more sustainable practices, we are taking a step in the right direction towards a greener and more prosperous future.

In short, our experience at ARCO this year was not only about exhibiting art, but also about doing so in a way that respects and protects the environment. We are proud to have taken significant steps toward more sustainable packaging, and we hope this initiative will inspire others in our industry to adopt more responsible practices.

ARCO Madrid 2024

Posted on by SEO Senda

The countdown has begun. ARCO Madrid is just around the corner and from Galeria SENDA we are finishing all the details so that this year we can show you in our stand, 9B23, the latest creations of our beloved artists of the house.

For our thirty-first participation in ARCO, one of the most influential fairs on the international scene, we have invited those who are pillars of our identity and history as a gallery, as well as new young and emerging proposals.

Download Dossier

Jordi Bernadó – «Last & Lost»

This year we are very happy to show you part of Jordi Bernadó‘s new photographic project, “LAST & LOST“. This series of eight photographs, shown in a solo exhibition at Galeria SENDA and part of a larger project, question the ecological and philosophical challenges of the present, dealing with issues such as sustainability, the relationship between technology and nature, the horizons of our future or the role that democracy will play in the fight against new environmental threats. The photographs in “LAST & LOST” portray lost places, endangered ecosystems, areas rendered unfit for habitation due to pollution, and life forms struggling to survive in practically barren landscapes. The artist becomes, then, a witness and spectator of ecological catastrophes in an ambiguous state between existing and not being able to be; just surviving.

Snowy landscape with a small tree

Jordi Bernadó. Old Tjikko, Mörkret, Sweden (S 6.2)cc (2022)
UV printing on methacrylate, mounted on dibond., 180 x 240 cm

Jaume Plensa

Another of the artists that backbone and shape the personality of our gallery is Jaume Plensa, the famed sculptor from Barcelona with an unparalleled international projection. For this edition of ARCO Madrid, Plensa presents his work based on contradictions: light and darkness, the trace of the past and the opening towards the future, natural contradictions and the creations of man’s hand, the immensity of noise and the most intimate spheres of silence.

Photograph of a bronze head sculpture with four hands covering the eyes and mouth.

Jaume Plensa. Who Are You? VI (2016)
Bronze, 38 x 15 x 15 cm

Anthony Goicolea

In contrast, Anthony Goicolea shows us that art can mean brutality, capturing in his plastic works the different prisms and perspectives of social issues such as gender, culture or traditions. Goicolea pours into his artwork his personal and family history, marked by being born Cuban, being gay and practicing the Catholic religion in the south of the country in the early seventies. These factors forged his awareness of social constructions, such as regional traditions or rituals, and how these elements influence and define our identities. In this edition of ARCO, Goicolea will show works in graphite and on oil, where visitors will be able to find themselves in front of subjects that could well be taken from theatrical performances or novels.

Double painting where, in each one, half of a man's body is represented

Anthony Goicolea. The Magician’s (2023)
Oil on canvas, 127 x 254 cm

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra

Another artist invited to exhibit at our stand at ARCO Madrid is the Chilean Sandra Vásquez de la Horra. Through a multiplicity of techniques ranging from three-dimensional pieces, charcoal, watercolor and wax; Vásquez de la Horra traces bodies that she conceives as geographical entities. These bodies, now territories, are divided into two planes: the physical-terrestrial and the mystical. In the physical aspect, the artist narrates with her work the political charge of the people’s resistance against the Chilean dictatorship. On the other hand, in the mystical aspect, Vásquez de la Horra takes the concept of the seven planes or chakras to dialogue in unison between the universe and the Earth.

Paper art installation representing two heads, one on top of the other

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra. Las Cholitas (2024)
Graphite and watercolor on waxed paper, 106 x 77 cm

Evru Zush

It is also characterized by the creation of unique and fantastic forms, Evru Zush. With a mix of techniques and disciplines, Zush presents his “Naga” series, made up of creatures that seem to come out of a science fiction movie.

Drawings of heads attached to tails, similar to those of fishes

Evru Zush. Serie Naga (2018)
Graphite on paper, 24.7 x 9.7 cm

Elena del Rivero

In addition, we will have the presence of the Valencian Elena del Rivero, an established artist who, from New York, continues to produce her artistic projects. Elena Del Rivero‘s work is divided into two lines: a historical one, exploring the collective pain of loss, and a personal one, focused on the construction of existential pillars.

Picture of eight feathers drawn on paper

Elena del Rivero. Flying Letter #24 (2011-2014)
Drawing, 73 x 54.6 x 21.5 cm

Stephan Balkenhol

Stephan Balkenhol will also participate in ARCO Madrid with his wooden work “Man with pink tie“. Balkenhol has managed over the years to establish himself as an artist who perseveres to reintroduce figurative sculpture in the current contemporary scene. His polychrome works are characterized by the contrast between the splinters and shavings that Balkenhol leaves when he effusively carves the raw material of his creations, wood, and the polished areas of the same.

Wooden sculpture of a man with black jacket, white shirt and pink tie

Stephen Balkenhol. Man with pink tie (2022)
Carved wood, 120 x 95.5 x 11.7 cm

Gonzalo Guzmán

Another artist of monumental carvings that joins ARCO is Madrid-born Gonzalo Guzmán. The artist presents in this edition of ARCO his new sculptural project through which Guzmán has tried to explore the inner self using lucid dreams as tools of inspiration and self-knowledge to create works that challenge our belief system. This is why his sculptures represent the metallic structures that appear in his dreams and explore the possibility of reproducing the sublime of the subconscious in reality.

Stainless steel menhir

Gonzalo Guzmán. Menhir_06 (2023)
Stainless steel, 275 x 100 x 60 cm

Gino Rubert

Committed to seduce the eye with the works he creates in order to invite reflection, Gino Rubert represents experiences and emotions through a fusion of artistic disciplines. With a complex technique that mixes the collage of photographs and everyday materials with acrylic and oil, the artist represents the figure of the new woman and the new man, their functions, dysfunctions, conflicts and rhetoric.

Painting of a woman on a railing in a pink dress with pins attached to the surface of the canvas

Gino Rubert. La Barana (2024)
Mixed/canvas, 55 x 46 cm

Yago Hortal

Yago Hortal maintains a close relationship between the artwork itself and the action painting itself. For Hortal, the canvas is part of a performance in which the artist consciously creates spontaneous color forms in an infinite range, expressing passion and vivacity. The paint seems to come out of the canvas, provoking the desire to want to touch it.

Yellow, pink and navy blue broad brushstrokes on a blue and pink gradient background

Yago Hortal. Z86 (2024)
Painting, 50 x 60 cm

Xavi Bou

Another artist who stands out for his spectacular composition is Xavi Bou. With his well-known series “Ornitographies“, a chronophotography project that reveals the invisible patterns that birds trace in the sky when they fly, Bou creates a balance between art and science and, in turn, builds a series of works loaded with visual poetry that hypnotize viewers.

Black and white photograph of a rock in the middle of the sea with a sky full of birds

Xavi Bou. ORNITOPGRAPHY #275 (2018-2019)
Digital print on Hahnemühle Fine Art Pearl 285 gr/m2, 140 x 200 cm

Peter Halley

Peter Halley will be in our Artist Project space as an artist, with a solo show that connects his past stages with his most recent work. In this exhibition visitors will be able to analyze in detail the artist’s most emblematic piece: “Exploding Cell” (1983). The animation that represents this computer is directly inspired by the Cold War and its ravages.

Download Dossier “Exploding Cell“
Photograph of the entrance of an art gallery with paintings on display and a television playing an animation

Peter Halley. Exploding Cell (1983)
Digital Animation

Glenda León

This year we will also be able to enjoy the work of multidisciplinary artist Glenda León, both in our general program and as a guest in the special session entitled “La orilla, la marea, la corriente: un Caribe oceánico“, an exhibition space within ARCO with 23 guest artists that will be curated by Sara Hermann, chief curator of the Centro Cultural Eduardo León Jimenes (Dominican Republic), and Carla Acevedo-Yates, from the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

Small blue mineral-like piece

Glenda León. Sueño concreto de Miró (2022)
Concrete and acrylic, 20 x 20 x 7 cm

We look forward to seeing you in the corridors of ARCO enjoying the art that will be condensed these days in Madrid and that, of course, we can meet at stand 9B23 of the gallery. If you want to be surprised with a wide and rich gallery proposal in disciplines, you will always have a corner where you can escape from the overwhelming atmosphere that a fair as imposing as ARCO can cause. SENDA will always be a space, the path, where you can find yourself again.

Dialogue within the framework of Jordi Bernadó’s LAST & LOST with Hilde Teerlinck, curator and director of the Han Nefkens Foundation, and Giulia Sonetti, transdisciplinary researcher at UPC.

Posted on by SEO Senda
Confirm your attendance

In the framework of Jordi Bernadó‘s exhibition LAST & LOST, Galeria SENDA will host a dialogue between Hilde Teerlinck and Giulia Sonetti on Monday 11th March at 7 p.m. on some of the main reflections of the exhibition.

What are the philosophical and ecological challenges of the present? What role does art have in creating sustainable alternatives? What should or can the societies of the future look like?

LAST & LOST explores the notion of loss. Or, rather, the way we relate to a world we recognize less and less. The climate crisis, the crossroads of digitalization, democratic setbacks, etc., configure a paradigm rooted in uncertainty and fear. Also, inevitably, crossed by glimmers of hope. Bernadó approaches this double condition – uncertainty and hope – and captures it in a series of eight pieces, exhibited at Galeria SENDA.

Hilde Teerlinck and Giulia Sonetti will meet under the umbrella of these photographs to bring the reflections of LAST & LOST to new grounds and conclusions from their fields of knowledge.

Teerlinck is an art curator and director of the Han Nefkens Foundation. Her curatorial line has been characterized by a strong international accent. In 2022, she curated the Belgian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, with the artist Francis Alÿs. Previously, she has been the artistic director of the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona, the director of the Centre Rhénan d’Art Contemporain (CRAC Alsace) in Altkirch and the director of the FRAC (Fonds régional d’art contemporain) in Nord-Pas-de-Calais (Dunkerque). In 2015, she was one of the four curators of “Beaufort Outside the Borders”.

Giulia Sonetti, transdisciplinary researcher at University Polytechnic of Barcelona – and member of the Postdoc Academy for Transformational Leadership (Robert Bosch Stiftung Foundation, Berlin) will talk with her. She organizes science workshops across Europe, and designs and implements national, EU FP7 / H2020 research projects with inter/transdisciplinary approaches, university campus sustainability management strategies and transformative education methods. Currently, she is the director and principal investigator of the project “TrUST -Transdisciplinarity for Urban Sustainability Transition“.

ART MEETS APOLO – The site-specific project by Sala Apolo, LAB 36, Galeria SENDA and Screen Projects

Posted on by SEO Senda

ART MEETS APOLO is an exhibition program where different installations by local artists are presented in the spaces of Barcelona’s legendary concert hall. The site-specific project ART MEETS APOLO seeks to explore the intersection between club culture and contemporary art, generating a meeting point between an environment characterized by agitation and chaos, and another associated with stillness and observation.

The initiative of Sala Apolo has been conceived in collaboration with LAB 36, Galeria SENDA, and Screen Projects (LOOP Barcelona). This strategic alliance amplifies the scope and purpose of ART MEETS APOLO, fosters exchange between artists and audiences, and promotes the artistic diversity present in Barcelona’s cultural panorama and the dialogue between disciplines. The works are exhibited in the common spaces of the halls for months, allowing concertgoers and club attendees to enjoy this unique fusion of art and nightlife.

«ACCUMBENS» BY PEDRO TORRES

Artist Pedro Torres experiments with the concepts of time, distance, memory, and language. In his installation for Sala Apolo, he displays moving images and site-responsive elements inspired by scientific theories and approaches to the study of the brain. Thus, he finds his center in the nucleus accumbens, a set of neurons in the brain linked to sensations of pleasure, fear, aggression, and addiction.

The installation, distributed across three channels, uses devices based on persistence of vision to immerse the audience in a sensory and reflective experience. Through this work, Torres invites the audience to explore the depths of the human mind and to question the very nature of perception and reality.

«PSYCHOFLAGE» BY MÓNICA RIKIĆ

Mónica Rikić develops an artistic practice centered on creative and electronic coding. She combines non-digital objects to create interactive projects, robotic installations, and handmade devices that transcend mere functionality.

In the context of Apolo, her creation «PSYCHOFLAGE» is composed of electronic modules reminiscent of a balloon endowed with an artificial intelligence system that shapes its behavior: inflating and deflating them and altering their internal luminosity. This playful approach transforms the Hall into a space of multicolored psychedelic fantasy.

«APOLO ARTIFICIAL PARADISE» BY JORDI GISPERT

Artist Jordi Gispert joins ART MEETS APOLO with his sculptural installation «Apolo Artificial Paradise», an extension of his work «Artificial Paradise» exhibited at LAB 36. In this piece, Gispert explores the artificial nature that permeates our daily lives.

The installation consists of 10 recycled aluminum bas-reliefs, surrounded by a tricolor stainless steel mesh and framed by a cord of LED lights. Through this proposal, the artist examines human attraction to the fruits of his technical labor and the fascination with the machines and materials that cover them, which he describes as “the skin of the machine”.

«LA FITO. SINGING AS A POSSIBLE CURE» BY FITO CONESA

Fito Conesa is a multidisciplinary artist who works with visual and sound elements. For his creation for ART MEETS APOLO, he has chosen the bathrooms as the setting. There, one can listen repeatedly to «La Fito. Singing as a possible cure», three sound reinterpretations inspired by Paco España, Marifé de Triana, and Bambino.

The sound installation pays homage to the voices of “the rascally Barcelona” linked to transvestism. Most of them migrated from southern Spain to Barcelona to make a living and ended up working in the Music Halls on the margins of society. Thus, Fito Conesa rescues these silenced and ignored figures from the past who have contributed significantly to the formation of the city’s character.

«VERS(U)S» BY ADA MORALES AND CARLA PUIG

Ada Morales and Carla Puig are two young artists united under the nickname “A C” (I see), in relation to the resources of light and installation with which they work. Their works are based on light and for ART MEETS APOLO it has not been less. For this initiative they have created «Vers(u)s», two audiovisual installations where they explore atmospheric phenomena to create a dialogue between industry and nature. To do this, they highlight the value of light and its temperature, and give it volume with smoke.