Once again this year, SENDA is pleased to announce that we will be back at By Invitation 2024, an exhibition of modern and contemporary art that, for the fifth consecutive year, will be held at the Círculo Ecuestre de Barcelona.
With the intention of fostering the dialogue between different artistic currents, By Invitation 2024 will feature invited galleries and selected projects, covering both the secondary market and the primary market of established and emerging artists from the national scene. The show will be mostly made up of galleries from Barcelona, although there will also be galleries from other parts of Spain, such as Madrid, Valencia and Gijon.
In this edition, SENDA has its own space to present its gallery proposal: the Japanese Room. The imposing room will host the works of a wide variety of artists, reflecting the versatility of the gallery. From the Chinese ink lithographs of Gao Xingjian, to the dreamlike sculptures of Gonzalo Guzman, the imposing acrylic paintings of Yago Hortal, the colorful wooden creations of Mina Hamada, the black and white photographs of Robert Mapplethorpe, or the mixed media compositions of the internationally renowned Jaume Plensa.
In particular, we would like to let you know that the hall will be an accomplice of a tribute to the famed painter Joan Miró on the occasion of his year of celebration. The piece presented will be a watercolor, “Aquarelle sur papier”, from the artist’s Japanese series. A perfect work to be exhibited in a room full of oriental influences.
If you do not want to miss the opportunity to be part of this exhibition, ask for your accreditation in the link below. See you from the 7th to the 10th of November at the Círculo Ecuestre de Barcelona.
La llegada del otoño a Barcelona siempre trae consigo un aire de vanguardia, creatividad y tendencia. Como cada año por estas fechas, la ciudad se prepara para vivir uno de los eventos más esperados en el ámbito de la moda: la 080 Barcelona Fashion Week, que se celebrará del 14 al 17 de octubre. La semana de la moda catalana no solo destaca por ser una plataforma clave para diseñadores emergentes y consagrados, sino también por su capacidad de conectar la moda con otras disciplinas artísticas.
Este evento coincide con dos exposiciones que nos invitan a explorar el mundo de la moda desde dos perspectivas únicas.
“Cariàtides” de Gino Rubert en galeria SENDA: El arte de la indumentaria
La primera parada artística relacionada con la 080 Fashion Week es la exposición “Cariàtides” del pintor Gino Rubert, expuesta en la galeria SENDA. Rubert es conocido por su capacidad de explorar las emociones humanas a través de figuras que rozan lo surrealista. En esta ocasión, su enfoque pone especial atención en un aspecto fundamental del universo de la moda: la construcción de las prendas.
En “Cariàtides“, Rubert juega con texturas, pliegues, alfileres sobre el lienzo e, incluso, piezas de joyería, creando una conexión simbólica con el proceso artesanal de confeccionar ropa. A través de sus obras, se percibe cómo el pintor utiliza la tela como un material moldeable, donde cada pliegue y cada costura se vuelven elementos cruciales para la construcción de la figura femenina. Este acto de construir prendas en el lienzo refleja el minucioso trabajo de los diseñadores de moda y su atención al detalle en la creación de piezas que son tanto artísticas como funcionales.
Así como un modista crea prendas que visten cuerpos, Rubert viste sus figuras femeninas de “Cariàtides” a través de su pincel, utilizando los materiales como metáfora de la conexión entre el arte pictórico y el arte del vestir.
“Into the river” (2024). 54 x 41 cm
“La Tempesta” (2024). 73 x 65 cm. Detalle
“Dos + Uno. 1984/2024” de José Manuel Ferrater en LAB 36: El tiempo y la moda a través de la fotografía
En LAB 36, otra exposición complementa el espíritu de la 080 Barcelona Fashion Week, pero desde una perspectiva fotográfica. José Manuel Ferrater, afamado fotógrafo de moda, presenta “Dos + Uno. 1984/2024”, una retrospectiva que ofrece un fascinante diálogo visual entre diferentes épocas de su carrera.
La muestra consiste en una contraposición de imágenes icónicas de 1984 y sus antagónicas tomadas en la actualidad, permitiendo al espectador viajar a través del tiempo y observar cómo han evolucionado tanto la moda como la fotografía misma. Ferrater, conocido por su capacidad de capturar la esencia del mundo de la moda con su lente, nos ofrece una reflexión sobre los cambios estilísticos y culturales a lo largo de los años.
A través de su obra, vemos cómo los ideales de belleza, los estilos y las tendencias han mutado con el paso de las décadas, pero también cómo algunos elementos perduran. La moda se presenta no solo como una forma de expresión personal, sino también como un reflejo de los tiempos que vivimos. La exposición es, en esencia, un diálogo entre el pasado y el presente, entre la nostalgia de las épocas doradas de la moda y la constante innovación del mundo contemporáneo.
Vista de sala. “Dos + Uno. 1984/2024”
El diálogo entre moda y arte: Un encuentro inevitable
Ambas exposiciones, en su relación con la moda, encuentran un terreno común: la noción de la moda como arte en sí misma. Rubert y Ferrater, desde sus respectivas disciplinas, exploran y celebran la moda como un medio para expresar y desafiar convenciones. Mientras que Rubert se enfoca en la construcción meticulosa de prendas como un acto artístico y escultórico, Ferrater documenta la moda en su contexto sociocultural, inmortalizando momentos y tendencias que han definido épocas.
Este diálogo entre arte y moda se vuelve aún más relevante en el contexto de la 080 Barcelona Fashion Week, un evento que tradicionalmente ha buscado desafiar las barreras entre disciplinas. En un momento en que la moda se enfrenta a una constante demanda de innovación y sostenibilidad, las exposiciones de Rubert y Ferrater nos recuerdan que la moda no es solo tendencia, sino también un arte profundamente ligado a la expresión creativa.
An honorary doctorate is the highest distinction that a university can bestow on a person in recognition of an outstanding academic, scientific or cultural career. Jaume Plensa, one of the most influential artists of our time, has had a 2024 full of awards, consolidating his status as a key figure in contemporary art. This year, the Catalan sculptor has been awarded two honorary doctorates, awarded by a national and a foreign university, bringing his total to five titles of this rank in his career.
A successful year
In 2024, Plensa was honoured by the University of Notre-Dame (Indiana, USA) in April and more recently, on 30 September, by the Universitat de Barcelona, in an event that honoured other prominent figures from the world of culture such as filmmaker J.A. Bayona, multidisciplinary artist Lita Cabellut and actress and stage director Núria Espert. These awards not only celebrate Plensa‘s artistic excellence, but also his impact on society through his commitment to causes such as social justice and human rights.
From his imposing public sculptures to his delicate installations, Plensa has left a profound mark on the global art scene. His work transcends borders and connects with the viewer in a visceral way, inviting us to reflect on the human condition, spirituality and collective memory. Works such as the monumental ‘Crown Fountain’ in Chicago’s Millennium Park or ‘Nomade’ in Antibes (France) demonstrate Plensa‘s ability to transform public space into a place of contemplation and dialogue.
From here, we join in the applause for Jaume Plensa, whose art continues to inspire, break barriers and create human connections on a global level.
From October 19th, 2024, to January 19th, 2025, the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza Madrid will open its doors to a major retrospective of Peter Halley, in collaboration with galeria SENDA. This monographic exhibition, part of the exhibition program of Blanca and Borja Thyssen-Bornemisza’s collection, features 20 paintings by the New York contemporary classic, from both public and private Spanish collections.
This is the first time since 1992, when the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía dedicated an exhibition to Halley, that Spain has hosted such a comprehensive retrospective of the artist. The exhibition encompasses his production from 1985 to 2024, exploring all stages of Halley‘s career. The selection of works has been carefully curated by Guillermo Solana, artistic director of the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza Madrid, and by the artist himself, who has also designed the installation, promising a unique visual and conceptual experience for museum visitors. The exhibition highlights the exceptional reception that Halley‘s work has enjoyed in Spain for almost forty years, presenting twenty large-format works that span his entire career and with which one can observe his evolution over time.
In addition, this exhibition coincides with another show dedicated to Peter Halley at galeria SENDA, on the occasion of more than thirty years of collaboration between the artist and the gallery. Halley will present unpublished pieces designed specifically for the venue, forming a set consisting of a huge mural work that contrasts with a collection of very unique small format. The presentation will take place this December.
“Art and science: shared trajectories”, a dialogue between the artist Xavi Bou and the professor and researcher Josep Perelló, will take place on 4th June at 7pm at galeria SENDA. Framed in Bou’s current exhibition at the gallery, both will offer us their perspective that intertwines art and science.
A meeting of gazes
Xavi Bou, through his project “Ornithographies”, explores the flight of birds using advanced photographic techniques that reveal patterns invisible to the human eye. His work is not only visually stunning, but also invites deep reflection on nature, the importance of preserving wildlife, and our place in it.
Josep Perelló is a professor in the Department of Condensed Matter Physics at the University of Barcelona (UB) and a researcher at the UB Institute of Complex Systems (UBICS). Founder of the OpenSystems-UB group, Perelló promotes scientific research projects with citizen participation and artistic practices. His work in citizen science and collective experiments for public space has been recognised and acclaimed both locally and internationally.
For all this, Perelló‘s historical knowledge and Bou‘s artistic and nature experience converge in a talk that fuses art and science from a different perspective.
The fusion between art and science
During the talk, Josep Perelló will provide a historical perspective on the intersection between art and science, exploring how these two fields have dialogued and influenced each other over the centuries. His experience as head and curator of the Science Area at Arts Santa Mònica, as well as his work at the Barcelona Office of Citizen Science and the Ciutat i Ciència Biennial, provides him with an enriching vision that promises to broaden our understanding and appreciation of this interdisciplinary fusion.
Xavi Bou, for his part, will share his personal experience and creative process. He will take us through the development of his project “Ornithographies”, from the initial inspiration to the technical and artistic realisation of his photographs. It will be a unique opportunity to understand art from the perspective of the person who creates it, and how science can be a powerful tool in the artistic process.
Do you want to attend?
We’ll be waiting for you on 4th June at 7pm at galeria SENDA (Trafalgar, 32). The talk is free and open to the public. You only have to confirm your attendance by clicking on this link and register.
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.
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.
The artist Evru/Zush has been awarded the 18th Electronic Art Arco-Beep prize for his work Opaulo (1990), a digital print on canvas exhibited at our stand (9B21 – galeria SENDA). This award, established in 2006, and carried out in collaboration with the ARCOMadrid Fair, has been set as the origin, the triggering element, from the .BEEP { Collection;}, a pioneering initiative in the dissemination of electronic and digital art in Spain.
The work of Evru / Zush is a clear example of his ability to create art that transcends the limits of what is conventional. From the gallery we express our pride and satisfaction at having exhibited the winning work and at having collaborated with an artist who is a “universal pioneer in a world that promotes interactivity and viewer participation”.
Visit by Natalia Garriga, Minister of Culture of the Generalitat, Edgar García, director of the ICEC, Marta Gusta, Director of the Area of Visual Arts at ICEC, Ester Capella, delegate of the Generalitat (Madrid).
We congratulate Zush / Evru on their well-deserved award and thank the Beep Collection and the Newart Foundation for their important work in promoting electronic and digital art .
After the recent inauguration of the monographic exhibition “Zush in Ibiza ”, at the Fundació Suñol in Barcelona, in collaboration with the Museu d’Art Contemporani d’Eivissa, Evru/Zush returns to exhibit part of his work conceived in Ibiza (1968-1983), a fundamental period for the artist, who experimented with very different formats and techniques never seen before. Precisely at that time, in 1968, the young artist Albert Porta decided to become Zush and carry out a creative self-healing strategy after he had passed through the phrenopathy hospital in Barcelona.
If we were to read in a prestigious medium in the art world that an artist has created a highly personal proposal that is absolutely coherent, ingenious, solid and bold in the metaverse, with avatars and codes, languages of the world video game or augmented reality, with stereoscopic images, colors and unreal worlds, providing a radically new scenario to the world of creation, we would launch ourselves to discover the proposal of this advanced Artist.
That is precisely what Zush already did, more than 40 years ago!
Booth view 9B21 (Artist Project) #1
Booth view 9B21 (Artist Project) #2
Evrugo Mental State, a world as real as our own, but existing in an uncertain place (which today we would probably translate as some sort of metaverse) with its own language, characters that inhabit it, currency, anthem and so many other characteristics typical of a real world, it was worked on and defined by him for years and presented in different contexts, we have seen it at MACBA, at the Reina Sofía, the São Paulo biennials or at Documenta, and even in the fantastic exhibition of the “Wizards of the Earth” at the Pompidou Center by Jean Huber Martin.
That real world, it has been and it is and that shows us how advanced in his time our honoree always was and is, who launched himself to investigate and create (through some devices, then called Personal Computers and that were unattainable except for a few professionals or researchers) and with them, through tools that would surprise us today, to continue creating their fascinating world. The WWW had not even been imagined then. Before our today.
Several words like Scanahrome or Infographics had to be invented. Works worked through digitalization and then in some cases printed on those rudimentary devices that today we would call plotters.
Zush is undoubtedly a universal pioneer in this world and that is why we want to pay tribute to his work.
“My thing is individual mythologies. I am someone who generates his own way of thinking, of seeing reality or of seeing the world. What interests me is being a bridge between sanity and madness”.
Evru/Zush
Renusa, 1989-1990
Acrylic painting on photography paper mounted on wood
200 × 100 × 5 cm
Thus, once again, the bells are once again the protagonists in space, this time accompanied by their famous nagas, Hindu deities with a human face and torso, generally of a woman, and the body of a snake. In this way, the desire to return to being Evru materializes, under the representation of snakes, beings that, like the artist himself, shed their skin in a natural process of renewal and growth. This desire for transformation is a constant in his career, through turning points that allow him to reflect on concepts such as identity, otherness or the passage of time. Thus, the desire for death and rebirth is the declaration of intent of a transgressive and unclassifiable artist who denies himself and reaffirms himself more and more emphatically and immortal.
