“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.
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.
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.
The Círculo Ecuestre is organizing this year 2022 its third edition of By Invitation: Círculo Internacional de Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo, at the club’s headquarters, located at 169 Bis Balmes Street. From December 14 to 18, twenty-three galleries, both national and international, have been chosen to exhibit representative works of modern and contemporary art in this Barcelona space. The By Invitation initiative arose from the mind of businessman and politician Enrique Lacalle, vice-president of the Círculo Ecuestre, in response to the need to offer the city of Barcelona a unique artistic event in an exclusive environment that makes attendees feel part of a special circle. Such has been the success of this annual exhibition that this year the Círculo Ecuestre is hosting the event for the third consecutive year.
For this edition of By Invitation 2022, we present part of the collections of some of the artists that make up the essence of Galeria SENDA. Firstly, the internationally known Jaume Plensa will exhibit his spectacular bronze sculpture “Study for Martina” as well as his work on paper “Dee“. His projects, characterized by monumentality and the exploration of the duality between the material and the immaterial, stand out for his ability to create sculptures that transcend the physical and explore the human essence and communication. Plensa is recognized for his public sculptures located in cities around the world, which awaken reflection and emotional connection with the viewer.
Joining this artistic event are the works of Antoni Tàpies, the prominent Catalan artist known for his contribution to the informal art movement or informalism and for his exploration of matter and textures in his artistic representations. Tàpies developed a distinctive style that combined abstract elements with symbols and signs charged with meaning. His work reflects his interest in the spiritual and metaphysical, using everyday materials such as soil, sand and found objects to create a unique artistic expression that challenges the traditional conventions of art. Tàpies left a lasting legacy in Spanish and international contemporary art, being recognized as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Part of his legacy will be exhibited in this edition of By Invitation with works such as “LLULL XXXIV” or “Polze núm.2“.
North American Peter Halley will also be exhibiting at the Círculo Ecuestre this year. Peter Halley is an outstanding artist whose work has left a profound mark on the international art scene. Recognized for his participation in the neo-geo movement of the 1980s, Halley uses geometry as a language to explore space and time in our contemporary society. His works, with cold, rectilinear geometric forms, reflect the closed and often oppressive order of our urban environment. Through his characteristic roll-a-tex texture and expressive use of color, Halley establishes connections to Pop Art and mass culture, offering a critical and reflective look at our social and political reality.
Yago Hortal and his monumental canvases will be hanging on the walls of By Invitation III. Born in Barcelona, he is an artist noted for fusing chance and consciousness in his creative process, turning the canvas into a vibrant stage where color comes to life. His expressive and passionate style invites the viewer to experience tactile sensations, creating a unique connection between the work and the viewer. A dozen of his canvases can be seen on the walls of the Círculo Ecuestre.
Xavi Bou‘s chronophotographic work will also be on display for this new edition. A geologist by training and photographer by passion, Bou has fused his love for the natural sciences with his artistic ability to reveal the hidden beauty of nature. Inspired by his experiences in the wetlands of the Llobregat delta, Bou has developed his most emblematic project, “Ornithographies,” which captures the invisible patterns traced by birds in the sky during flight. Through a unique combination of art and science, Bou has managed to challenge human perception and offer a new perspective of the natural world. This exhibition will feature three of his photographs from “Ornithographies“.
Túlio Pinto and his sculptural work “Complicity #34” will be present as part of SENDA‘s gallery proposal for By Invitation 2022. The Brazilian sculptor defies physical laws through his work, creating tensions and balances that defy gravity. With a background in Fine Arts and specialization in sculpture, Pinto uses a variety of opposing materials, such as cement, iron and frozen water, to achieve a unique harmony in his works.
Galeria SENDA‘s latest proposal is Gonzalo Guzmán, a sculptor from Madrid who, in his recent projects, uses lucid dreams as a source of inspiration and inner exploration in his art. His sculptures, which represent the metallic structures of his dreams, challenge the limits of reality and perception. By questioning our beliefs through art, Guzmán invites us to reflect on the world around us and our relationship with it.
In collaboration with Lab36, we will also exhibit works by Albert Pinya and Mina Hamada. Pinya, a multidisciplinary artist, explores human duality and social tensions through his works. With a provocative style and vibrant palette, he addresses themes such as identity, power and contemporary culture. His paintings and sculptures, charged with symbolism and energy, incite the viewer to question the complexity of the modern world and human interactions. On the other hand, multicultural artist Hamada fuses influences from East and West in her expressive murals and artworks. With a palette of warm colors and organic forms, Hamada invites the viewer to explore her dream world, where youth and philosophical depth intertwine harmoniously.
LAB36 – Booth E9
Galeria SENDA – Booth E9
Xavi Bou & Gonzalo Guzmán
Carlos Durán & Enrique Lacalle
Albert Pinya
Installation shot 2020
Installation shot 2021
As this is a private social club, access to enjoy the exhibitions is by invitation only. To obtain one of these, please contact the gallery in advance. In addition, and in parallel to the exhibition, there will be a series of conferences related to the works presented. For more information about the By Invitation III program, click on the following link https://byinvitation.es/ and discover every detail of this new edition.
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 Balkenholwith 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 Horrawith 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.
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
