Escultura

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.

Jaume Plensa beyond La Pedrera

Posted on by SEO Senda

Currently, the work of Catalan sculptor Jaume Plensa can be seen in numerous venues around the world, including the exhibition at La Pedrera in Barcelona from March 31st through July 23rd, 2023. However, beyond this exhibition, Plensa‘s work is diverse and complex, and deserves an in-depth review. In this article, we want to explore his work beyond his current exhibition in Barcelona, and highlight his time in our gallery over the years.

From March 31st, at La Pedrera, you will be able to discover the most intimate and unknown Plensa in an exhibition that, for the first time, reveals the influence that literature, language and the alphabet have had on his work.

Image of a metal sculpture being lifted by crane to La Pedrera

Installation of Jaume Plensa’s work at La Pedrera

This exhibition is a unique opportunity to delve into the most particular work of this internationally renowned sculptor. With a career spanning from the late twentieth century to the present, Jaume Plensa has stood out for his work on the human figure, where he often fuses matter, words and music in a constant dialogue. This exhibition, curated by Javier Molins, will show some of the artist’s most representative pieces, as well as his evolution over the years.

Image of people photographing a metal sculpture picked up by a crane

Jaume Plensa during the installation of his work at La Pedrera

From Galeria SENDA, having exhibited the sculptor’s work on more than one occasion, we are thrilled that the city of Barcelona receives it in such an honorable way. It makes us especially excited to remember his passage through the gallery, which never goes unnoticed.

At the end of 2016, Jaume Plensa held his first exhibition at Galeria SENDA: «El Bosc Blanc», after 7 years without exhibiting in Barcelona, his hometown. Plensa presented a work that confronted what is shown with what is hidden, the past with the future, the natural construction with the creation by the hand of man, and the sound vibration with silence.

Gallery view, 2016

Gallery view, 2016

The exhibition consisted of various sculptures of young, female faces representing individuality within the social collectivity. The white pieces, “Lou“, “Duna” and “Isabella“, seemed to float on the floor and were complemented by graphite drawings on the wall. Plensa sought for the viewer to connect with the pieces and find their own path through the works placed in the space.

For more information, you can listen to this explanatory video of the artist:

At the end of 2020, he returned to present a new exhibition «La Llarga Nit» at Galeria SENDA, in which he praised the mysterious time of the night, capable of inspiring the soul of poets. The works in the exhibition presented sleeping and silent figures, with a lyrical and contemplative dimension. Plensa suggests that, by having to stop the machinery of doing, humanity is putting into function the machinery of thinking, generating new ways of living in the world. The exhibition included suspended sculptures, works on paper, among other works.

Photograph of an art gallery displaying a sculpture and a painting
Photograph of an art gallery where a bust sculpture is exhibited

Gallery view, 2020

Gallery view, 2020

In addition, beyond the exhibitions, Plensa accompanied us on two occasions last year. The first time he participated with Javier Molins in a talk that took place at the gallery on the occasion of the presentation of the book “Artists in the Nazi camps”. In this talk, Plensa and Molins shared their reflections on the work of artists who were victims of the Holocaust and its importance in the history of art. The second occasion was also in 2022, when he participated in another talk together with photographer Jean-Marie del Moral and journalist Màrius Carol during the presentation of the book «Interior, 2022» by By Publications. In this #SENDATalks, they shared their experiences and reflections on art and creativity in today’s world.

However, even further back in time, in 2017, German sculptor Stephan Balkenhol and Jaume Plensa met on the gallery’s mezzanine to talk about «Sculptures and Public Space» in a dialogue about their trajectory and their interest in promoting sculpture as a value for society and culture.

We are grateful to have been able to witness Plensa‘s unwavering commitment to contemporary art and the opportunity to present his work in a gallery in his own city.

Poesia del silenci, Jaume Plensa

If you are interested in learning about the available pieces by Jaume Plensa, do not hesitate to contact us by email senda@galeriasenda.com or at our SHOP online:

Jaume Plensa – ALCHIMISTES I
Jaume Plensa, Interior

A journey through the imaginary of Jaume Plensa in the Macbeth opera

Posted on by SEO Senda

With Jaume Plensa as artistic director, Verdi’s opera Macbeth premieres on February 16 at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona.

This was already announced by Richard Wagner when he coined the term “Gesamtkunstwerk”, referring to opera as a total work of art that integrates the six arts: painting, sculpture, music, poetry, dance and architecture.

The Wagnerian ideal seeks a fusion between all the participatory elements of opera, as Jaume Plensa, known for his multifaceted artistic vision, has done. The Catalan artist has taken on the challenge of directing the stage production of the opera Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona.

Verdi’s well-known opera premieres this February 16 under the direction of Josep Pons, with a powerful aesthetic and ritual presence of Jaume Plensa. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the artist confesses that “it is one of the most profound and interesting reflections on duality between body and soul, between abstraction and matter“.

Plensa affirms that “it is one of Shakespeare’s most mental plays, because we have all been Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and other characters in the play at one time or another“, which is addressed “to the deepest sense of the human being“. All in all, for Plensa, Macbeth represents a deeply introspective theatrical work that resonates with the universal human experience. He explains that each character in the play is a representation of diverse aspects of the human being, inviting the viewer to explore his or her own psyche through the operatic narrative.

“I wanted to make a completely mental opera, to see in each scene moments that are like us, we have all been characters in the piece at one time or another“. Through the costumes, with most costumes out of his time, working on the choreography with Antonio Ruiz and lighting with Urs Schönebaum, Jaume Plensa aims to bring the viewer a more spiritual vision of the work, capturing in the best possible way the journey through the imaginary characteristic of the sculptor. His goal is to take the viewer on a spiritual journey through the rich imaginary that characterizes his work as a sculptor.

Image of white, black, red and gold colored figurines
Image of white, black, red and silver colored figurines

Macbeth art direction mock-up

The opera has an exquisite cast formed by Luca Salsi, Željko Lučić, Erwin Schrott, Simón Orfila, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Alexandrina Pendatchanska, Gemma Coma-Alabert, Francesco Pio Galasso, Celso Albelo, Fabian Lara and David Lagares. With special enthusiasm, we will meet again with Sondra Radvanovsky, soprano who plays Lady Macbeth and of whom we remember her visit to ARCO Madrid 2021 on the occasion of the presentation of the poster of the Castell de Peralada Festival.

Photograph of four men and a woman smiling at the camera posing in front of a painting

From left to right, Oriol Aguilà, director of the Festival Castell de Peralada; Joan Matabosch, artistic director of the Teatro Real; Carlos Álvarez, baritone; Sondra Radvanovsky, soprano; and artist Jordi Bernadó, posing with one of his works exhibited at ARCO Madrid 2021.

Image of white, black and red figurines
Photograph of Jaume Plensa seated on a chair with a microphone in hand

Jaume Plensa selected works:

Jaume Plensa – Bartók
Jaume Plensa Tears
Jaume Plensa – SLUMBERLAND III

Jaume Plensa, Jean-Marie del Moral and Màrius Carol meet at Galeria SENDA

Posted on by SEO Senda

Last Monday, November 7, Barcelona became the epicenter of art and reflection when Galeria SENDA opened its doors to welcome three prominent names from the cultural world: sculptor Jaume Plensa, photographer Jean-Marie del Moral and journalist Màrius Carol. The reason for this meeting was the presentation of the book “Interior, 2022”, a work that transcends the printed pages to explore the challenges and opportunities faced by creators in the context of a globalized market.

The theme of the talk, entitled “Shared Challenges. Creating in a Global Marketplace“, addressed profound and pertinent questions about the creative process in the contemporary world. How do artists face the pressure of producing in a globalized environment? What impact do market trends have on creativity and originality? These were some of the questions raised during the conversation, which turned into an exciting dialogue between creative minds.

Jaume Plensa, known for his imposing sculptures that explore the relationship between the individual and the environment, shared his vision of the need to maintain authenticity in a world flooded with external influences. For Plensa, true creativity arises from the connection with oneself and the surrounding environment, and it is crucial to preserve that connection in a globalized context.

For his part, Jean-Marie del Moral, whose photography captures the essence of urban life and human diversity, spoke about the role of art as a tool for expression and resistance in an increasingly homogenized world. For Del Moral, creativity is an act of resistance against uniformity, a way of celebrating the diversity and complexity of the world we inhabit.

Màrius Carol, a journalist with a long career in the cultural field, provided a unique perspective on the role of the media in the promotion and dissemination of contemporary art. In a world where attention is fragmented and information is constantly flowing, Carol stressed the importance of telling authentic and meaningful stories that connect with audiences on an emotional level.

The presentation of the book “Interior, 2022” marked the beginning of a series of #SENDATalks, a typology of talks organized by Galeria SENDA that brings together artists, creators and thinkers to explore relevant topics in the world of art and culture. These meetings provide a platform for the exchange of ideas, debate and reflection, fostering an open and enriching dialogue between different disciplines and perspectives.

The event concluded with a question and answer session, where the audience had the opportunity to interact with the speakers and delve deeper into the topics discussed. The atmosphere was one of inspiration and camaraderie, leaving a lasting impression on all present and sowing the seeds for future conversations and creative collaborations. In short, the talk at Galeria SENDA was much more than a book presentation; it was a transformative encounter that illuminated the complexities and challenges of the creative process in the 21st century, and demonstrated the power of art and culture to bring people together and enrich our lives.

To learn more about this #SENDATalk discover the talk on YouTube Live and Instagram Live

Image of a talk in an art gallery
Three men with microphones giving a talk
Photograph of two men in front of a wall with drawings smiling at the camera
Photograph of two men holding a large book with black letters on a white background

See you at the next #SENDATalk 🗣!