The new doors of Jaume Plensa at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona

Posted on 6 September, 20226 September, 2022 by SEO Senda

“The letter seems to me a beautiful metaphor of society: a single letter is nothing; but together with others it can form words, concepts; this is the power of community.” – Jaume Plensa

The Gran Teatre del Liceu opened the 2022-2023 season yesterday, Monday, with the new doors, or ‘Constellations’, the work of sculptor Jaume Plensa, highlighting the celebration of the 175th anniversary of the historic Barcelona institution.

*The artist Jaume Plensa next to Salvador Alemany, president of the Fundació del Gran Teatre del Liceu*

The doors (stainless steel, 4 x 4 m) are inspired by two classics of Catalan culture: the architect Antoni Gaudí, and the painter Joan Miró, with his nearby Pla de la Boquería mosaic, in addition to the close relationship with the name of one of his most original series ‘Constel·lacions (1939)’.

“I think this dialogue between the past and the future gives us the key to the present: the contemporary gesture at the heart of society, embracing music with words and voice with writing.” The artist said yesterday at the opening ceremony at Las Ramblas.

Plensa intends to vindicate the diversity of the promenade with letters from nine alphabets engraved on the railings – intermingling Arabic, Latin or Chinese – that will reflect their moving shadows on the floor of the entrance, when the doors reach the light of the lamps of the portal.

During the presentation of the doors, the Minister of Culture, Natàlia Garriga, also expressed the importance of this work for the city: “I want to thank all the members of the Board of Trustees who accepted it so quickly, that they see so lucidly that this proposal would be key for the Liceu, but also for the Ramblas, Barcelona and Catalonia.” And she has added that “having art available to everyone makes it possible for citizens to know and value it. I am sure that these doors will awaken the love for art in many pedestrians, and in the spectators who pass through them to enjoy the opera in this important facility.”

For his part, the Deputy Mayor for Culture, Education, Science and Community of the Barcelona City Council, Jordi Martí, has emphasized above all the commitment of the Liceu to “link to contemporary artists of the city and to do it in a total and determined way, not just with a small gesture. Today we are opening three doors, but we will also be able to see Macbeth with the stage direction of Jaume Plensa.” Martí has insisted that the doors “improve the artistic environment of the Ramblas” and wanted to thank the artist for his “humble and restrained gesture because Constelaciones are integrated into the landscape and do not become an isolated work of art.”

After the institutional parliaments, the act has continued with the first official opening of the doors while the Coro del Gran Teatre del Liceu performed the Wagnerian piece Freudig begrüß en wir die edle Halle (Tannhäuser, act II) on the Rambla, directed by the director of the Choir, Pablo Assante, and accompanied on piano by David-Huy Nguyen-Phung. A piece from the second act of the Tannhäuser that celebrates the entrance of the guests and that wants to be a symbolic and metaphorical gesture of doors that invite the public to enter and enjoy the universal language that is music.

“The alphabet represents a harmony that celebrates the great diversity of the world,” said Plensa. The president of the fundación del Liceo, Salvador Alemany, has stated that the sculptor’s work is “a gift that gives prestige to the Rambla and the Liceo”.

No es la primera vez que el escultor dispone de una obra cerca de un núcleo cultural de la ciudad condal. Carmela, un rostro de cuatro metros, mitad niña y mitad adolescente, preside la fachada del Palau de la Música. El artista, Premio Nacional de Artes Plásticas 2012, ha proyectado sus conocidos rostros en otras capitales como Madrid, (Julia) o New York (El alma del agua).

Plensa will maintain his relationship with the Liceo in the new season as the person in charge of the scenery of the Macbeth of Verdi, que se estrenará el próximo febrero.

Technical and operating elements

As for the technical details, these doors weigh around 500 kilograms each and migrate on a single axis that is embedded at the start of the arch just above the capital; of the pilasters. The convexity of the doors does not exceed the outer plane of the pilasters and means that the minimum passage below the open sheepfold is about 3 m high. One of the characteristics of the structure is that the doors do not open laterally, but have an opening movement from bottom to top. In this way, in addition to physical sculpture, we also seek a set of dialogues with spaces, reflections and optical visions of light and shadow. Thus, all those who walk the ground of the Rambla will be able to walk on this carpet of shadows of the installation itself. The work is integrated without affecting any other past element incorporated prior to the facade of Oriol Mestres from 1874 and recovered in 2019.

Bibliography:

https://www.liceubarcelona.cat/es/el-liceu-inaugura-la-obra-constelaciones-de-plensa

https://elpais.com/espana/catalunya/2022-09-05/el-liceo-inaugura-la-temporada-con-las-nuevas-puertas-de-jaume-plensa.html

https://www.lavanguardia.com/cultura/20220906/8504964/plensa-enriquece-fachada-gran-teatre.html

https://www.lavanguardia.com/cultura/20220905/8504963/abren-cierran-levitan.html

TÚLIO PINTO at the 13th edition of the Bienal do Mercosul

Posted on 1 September, 20221 September, 2022 by SEO Senda

Anyone passing through Borges de Medeiros Avenue, in the Historic Center of Porto Alegre, should be curious about the bands of orange colors that connect between the buildings.

This is the work “Batimento”, by Túlio Pinto, which is participating in the 13th edition of the Bienal do Mercosul.

In this edition of the Bienal do Mercosul, the artist reflect on collective experiences. With free access, the exhibitions – which focus on the theme Trauma, Dream and Escape – aim to provide immersive essays through the senses and perception of visitors.

The event is signed by the general curator, Marcello Dantas, and the assistant curators Tarsila Riso, Laura Cattani, Munir Klamt and Carollina Lauriano.

It is a project that uses the city as a support to carry out a great pictorial graphic intervention through the use of an industrial material that is the canvas used for the facades of buildings under construction or restoration.
The orange color of the vectors intends to generate a pictorial touch with the blue color of the sky. This is due to the complementary relationship of colors.
Túlio Pinto

@galeriasenda #galeriasenda

Studio Visit with Anthony Goicolea

Posted on 30 August, 202230 August, 2022 by SEO Senda

#SendaInTheCity

VOLUME I

‘I normally start my day drawing,’ says Anthony Goicolea at his studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. ‘Eventually, one of those drawings will tell a story, then it becomes a painting.’

The New York based artist, first-generation Cuban-American, invited us to his luminous studio a Sunday afternoon in New York City.

Making use of a variety of media, Goicolea explores topics ranging from particular history and identity, through cultural tradition and heritage, to alienation and displacement.

His diverse oeuvre encompasses digitally manipulated self-portraits, landscapes, narrative tableaux executed in a variety of media, including black-and-white and color photography, sculpture & video installations, and multi-layered drawings on Mylar.

@anthonygoicolea x @galeriasenda

As I walk in, I am immediately captivated by the atmosphere of the studio. In the heart of Brooklyn, illuminated by a radiant mid-afternoon sun, we are greeted by some of Goicolea’s most recent pieces displayed around the space. All of them dialogue with one another creating at first an aura of contemplation and after a few minutes, of debate.

*Goicolea at the studio, behind him: ‘Vigil, 2021’*

*The artist showing one of his recent projects*

Anthony moves comfortably around the room picking out different paintings and carrying them from one place to another to get a better view. His active and energetic spirit gracefully guides us around the studio, showing us his latest creations and allowing us to enter his most personal creative space.

In ‘Crossing, 2021’, an oil on linen from 2020, four visible figures stand in front of an inflatable boat full of old bicycles, two other figures stand behind merging with the background.

*The artists points at one of his recent works: ‘Crossing, 2020’*

As an unresting curious artist, he’s always looking for innovating challenges. I noticed the great variety of sizes of the canvases and discovered that the dimensions weren’t random. Goicolea builds his own canvases to give life to his paintings, facilitating the process of projecting his drawings onto the fabric in a more personal and approachable way.

*Goicolea’s pencil drawings on the wall*

*In the far back: ‘Portrait of A Franciscan Monk Giving A Confessional Reading to Aldo Londi Circa 1962, 2020’*

In past series, many of the images were devoid of humans. In those works, primitive lean-tos and crudely constructed shanties coexist in an uneasy union with the technological vestiges of an industrialized society. Suggesting a world on the brink of obsolescence, these chilling images further cement the pervasive undercurrent of human alienation—from one another as well as the natural environment—that can be traced throughout the artist’s work.

However, it seems like Goicolea has officially entered –or, revisited– a phase in which his own personal history becomes the root of his inspiration by, once again, exploring his roots and family heritage with a different technical perspective.

These poignant, almost cinematic images are characterized by a fervent search for ancestral & social connections to his homeland: Cuba— revealing nostalgia for a past that the artist didn’t experience & a sense of cultural dislocation and estrangement.

*Anthony posing for Galeria SENDA during our Studio Visit*

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Featured pieces:

Anthony Goicolea – Portrait of A Franciscan Monk Giving A Confessional Reading to Aldo Londi Circa 1962

Anthony Goicolea – Vigil

Anthony Goicolea – Soldierette with Wild Flowers

Museo de Reus receives “Duna’s World II” by Jaume Plensa

Posted on 6 August, 202221 March, 2024 by SEO Senda

Museo de Reus has opened its doors to present a true jewel of contemporary art: the exceptional piece “Duna’s World II” by acclaimed sculptor Jaume Plensa. This work, part of a private collection on loan from Galeria SENDA, has found its home in the historic headquarters of the Santa Ana district, adding a new and vibrant cultural dimension to the city.

“Duna’s World II” transcends the mere category of sculpture to become a gateway to the artist’s fascinating universe. It is a living testimony of his artistic ideology and a celebration of eternal youth. Masterfully carved in marble, the delicacy and smoothness of its surface invite the viewer to approach and be enveloped by its mystical aura. The face, with eyes closed in a gesture of serene contemplation, suggests a state of deep reflection, an irresistible invitation to explore the innermost recesses of our own consciousness.

Jaume Plensa, renowned for his ability to capture the very essence of the human being in his works, leads us on a journey of self-discovery towards inner peace and spiritual harmony. “Duna’s World II” reminds us of the vital importance of introspection and invites us to immerse ourselves in the time of thought, where we find the serenity and balance so longed for in the tumult of modern life.

Sculpture of a marble face by Jaume Plensa

Image of a person photographing a sculpture of a marble face

“Duna’s World II” is a unique marble piece, 183 x 67 x 58, created in 2015

The transfer of this masterpiece represents an invaluable gift for Reus, which can now boast of having two works by the renowned sculptor in its city In 2003, Plensa left an indelible mark on the city with his monumental creation “Body of Light“, which majestically adorns the entrance of Biblioteca Central Xavier Amorós. With the incorporation of “Duna’s World II“, Reus consolidates its position as an unavoidable cultural destination on the map of contemporary art, attracting visitors and art lovers from all over the world.

If you want to explore more closely “Duna’s World II“, in addition to approaching Museo de Reus, you can watch this video of Canal Reus where the details of the work are explored, in addition to hearing a few words from the councilor of culture of the City of Reus, Daniel Recasens, and the delegate of the Government of the Generalitat in Camp de Tarragona, Teresa Pallarès.

To keep up to date with the latest news and activities of Galeria SENDA, you can follow us on our social networks. Don’t miss any updates about our exhibitions, special events and much more. Join our community and be part of the exciting world of contemporary art!

#galeriasenda @galeriasenda

MINA HAMADA’s project for LA ROCA VILLAGE: ‘Un Paseo Colorido’

Posted on 20 July, 202220 July, 2022 by SEO Senda

The artist based in Barcelona has just presented a new series of sculptures in the shopping center La Roca Village. The collection represents a novelty for the artist who usually works on large-scale public murals.

Striking sculptures by American-born Japanese artist Mina Hamada dot the streets of the space. In June, the creator inaugurated a project conceived together with La Roca Village and the gallery LAB36. The idea behind Colorful Walk, conceived ex profeso for that place, is to support local talent.

Three colorful geometric sculptures and a set of hanging wooden mobiles can now be seen at the entrance of La Roca Village. A final three meter tall sculpture will be installed later this summer. Mina talks about her work process, her iconic style and how she approaches a new medium.

Hamada transmits its good vibrations through its free and organic forms, in a style characterized by color, rhythm and improvisation. Although it is mostly known for its mural art of enormous dimensions, the artist explores other formats such as canvas or sculpture without abandoning the artistic language that identifies her. You can currently enjoy his circular and rectangular canvases in an individual exhibition that he has done for the gallery LAB36 titled Transition.

The La Roca Village project began to take shape in 2021 and, after several meetings, Hamada and the team created for the occasion, chose to develop strong>works with volume. The artist, who has worked in various disciplines, from paintings to murals or work on paper, is the first time that she has developed such large works in three dimensions:

“It’s a new challenge for me. With Paseo Colorido I can bring people closer to my work and make them interact with it.”

Hamada’s proposal is articulated through three groups of sculptures: Dream Passage, with large-scale works (300 x 200 x 150 cm) ; Summer whims, which are three small format pieces; and Aerial landscape, a mobile installation. The artist is excited about the opportunity to give volume to her creations, because “they look like characters that come out of my paintings and have a soul.”

Follow the full story on our social networks @galeriasenda #galeriasenda

Fragments of:

https://www.lavanguardia.com/gente/20220630/8372598/estallido-color-roca-village.html

https://www.revistaad.es/lugares/articulos/arte-urbano-mina-hamada

https://metalmagazine.eu/en/post/interview/mina-hamada

Galeria SENDA at ART BRUSSELS 2022

Posted on 28 April, 202228 April, 2022 by SEO Senda

28.04 – 01.05.22, Tour & Taxis | Booth A50

This year we celebrate with great enthusiasm our twentieth participation in ART BRUSSELS, from April 28th to May 1st 2022, with the following selected artists:

Stephan BALKENHOL

Peter HALLEY

Yago HORTAL

Irán DO ESPIRITO SANTO

Glenda LEÓN

Túlio PINTO

Jaume PLENSA

Sandra VÁSQUEZ DE LA HORRA

You can find us at BOOTH A50, Tour & Taxis in Brussels.

*Escuchando la Luna*, 2020
Glenda LEÓN
Cowhide and wood
50 × 200 × 10 cm

*Z51*, 2022
Yago HORTAL
Acrylic on canvas
230 × 190 cm

Galeria SENDA at Art Brussels 2022

Posted on 5 March, 20226 April, 2024 by SEO Senda

28.04 – 01.05.22, Tour & Taxis | Booth A50

With great excitement and enthusiasm, this year we are pleased to announce the twentieth participation of Galeria SENDA in the prestigious contemporary art fair Art Brussels, which will take place from April 28th to May 1st, 2022. For this special edition, we have carefully prepared a selection of artists that represent the plastic, sculptural and compositional quality of a small sample of the talent of those who are part of the SENDA family.

In our stand at Art Brussels you will find works by renowned artists exhibited at SENDA such as Jaume Plensa and his conceptual brutality represented in “Who Are You? V”; Peter Halley and his lively use of colors in his large geometric paintings; Yago Hortal and the grandeur of his canvases such as “Z53”; Stephan Balkenhol with his huge sculptural figures; Iran do Espírito Santo and his audacious way of turning contradiction into a tangible thing as with his sculpture “Black Light”; Glenda León with her reinterpretation of the lunar cycle in “Listening to the Moon”; Túlio Pinto and his sculptures created from the fusion of materials; Sandra Vásquez de la Horra with her universe of fantastic figures that invite reflection on incendiary themes of the society in which we live; Gino Rubert with his farewells and reunions charged with symbolism; Xavi Bou and the wonderful chrono-photographic work captured in “Ornithographies“; Anthony Goicolea with his portraits where he explores human identity related to social issues such as migration; Donald Sultan and the reinvention of still lifes with works such as “Winter Mimosa Jan 28”; or the evocative photographs of Jordi Bernadó such as “New York (OS 276. 2)”. All this and much more is what anyone who attends the Art Brussels Week and passes by the stand A50 of Galeria SENDA will be able to find.

This amalgam of artistic projects demonstrates the solid gallery proposal of SENDA, betting on the dissemination of both national and international art. Likewise, the variety of techniques and disciplines is key to understand the idiosyncrasy of our gallery. Without the presence of this generous amount of projects so different from each other, fairs like Art Brussels would not make sense. For all this, if after getting to know the wide range of artists that will accompany SENDA in Brussels, you want to live an immersive experience and immerse yourself in the busy and vivid world of the fairs, you can find us at stand A50, in the Tour & Taxis building of the Belgian capital.

Obra abstracta d'uns peus que obren un portal de colors

Pintura abstracta amb pinzellades rosades i ataronjades sobre fons negre

_{Portal, 2022
Sandra VÁSQUEZ DE LA HORRA
Grafit, watercolour and gouache on wax-plated paper
76 × 56 cm}

_{Escuchando la Luna, 2020
Glenda LEÓN
Cow’s skin and wood
50 × 200 × 10 cm}

_{Z51, 2022
Yago HORTAL
Acrylic in cloth
230 × 190 cm}

Imatge d'un estand de fira amb pintures i escultures d'art contemporani

^{Booth A50 – Galeria SENDA}

Galeria SENDA at Art Brussels 2021

Posted on 1 June, 202121 March, 2024 by SEO Senda

03.06 – 06.06.21, Tour & Taxis

Black, white and red abstract polka dot painting

Donald Sultan. Autumn Mimosa (Feb, 2018)
Enamel, latex, graphite and tar on masonite. 122 x 244 cm

From June 3rd to 6th, Galeria SENDA presents a group exhibition at Art Brussels, one of the most renowned contemporary art fairs in Europe and an unmissable event on the international art calendar. Art Brussels is the ideal opportunity to discover the artistic and cultural richness of the art and cultural scene of the European capital, attracting a considerable number of collectors, curators, gallery owners, art professionals and art lovers from all over the world. Each year, the fair welcomes around 25,000 visitors to the emblematic Tour & Taxis building in the heart of the Belgian capital.

Instead of the usual format, this year the Belgian fair will offer a new edition: the Art Brussels week will feature Viewing Rooms, i.e. online exhibitions, from June 2nd to 14th and will also present physical gallery tours from June 3rd to 6th. For those unfamiliar with the term “viewing room,” this is a digital system that allows viewers to explore and examine works of art, either through high-quality images, videos or detailed descriptions. These viewing rooms are often used at art fairs and galleries as a way to show works of art to those who cannot physically attend the place where the works are exhibited. Through the “viewing rooms” visitors can, apart from appreciating the pieces, obtain information about them and the artists and even contact the gallery to make inquiries or purchases. All you need is an Internet connection and a great desire to enter into this extrasensory experience of online visits.

Painting of a racialized person lying on an orange float floating in dark water

Anthony Goicolea. Inflatable Pieta.
Oil on raw linen canvas. 90 x 130 cm

This year, for the physical gallery tour, SENDA invites the public to visit our current exhibition: “Day and night: New paintings and drawings” by Donald Sultan. Sultan is a contemporary painter, sculptor and printmaker known for his large-scale paintings, which explore the dichotomies between beauty and rudeness and realism and abstraction through the construction of a particular imaginary rich in color and form. With the fusion of techniques and materials, Sultan manages to build works that dance between the representation of images directly recognizable in the collective imagination and the purest abstraction. A great example of this mix of concepts is his ability to reinvent a technique as old as still life, using images of lemons, poppies, fruits, flowers and everyday objects, which give a breath of fresh air to the grandeur of his compositions.

The online exhibition continues to present our selected artists in the Viewing Room so that the shows can reach many more people. The artists chosen to represent our gallery in Brussels are Peter Halley, Jaume Plensa, Yago Hortal, Anthony Goicolea, Jordi Bernadó, Oleg Dou, Glenda León, Stephan Balkenhol, Gino Rubert and Evru Zush. The exhibition includes painting, photography, sculpture and drawings to create a constellation of works representing multiple techniques and artistic expressions. The wide variety of artistic proposals for this art week in Brussels aims to extol the most significant attributes of our gallery, advocating a brutal combination that perfectly represents the exquisiteness of the contemporary art that SENDA is committed to exhibit.

Do not miss this unique artistic encounter where works from different corners of the world converge for a few days in Brussels to be appreciated by a wide range of attendees and art lovers, in a unique cultural experience.

Galeria Senda

Contemporary art production company in Barcelona

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