Issuu

Assum López M. +34 669 375 173 www.asuncionlopezjimenez.com

“Es Codolar” óleo, con espátula / lienzo, oil, with palete knife / canvas, 73 x 92,5 cm

hen we refer to Ibiza’s current creative situation as a Cinderella syndrome, meaning unrecognised high potential within deficient infrastructure, the exception from the norm certainly is Club Diario: efficient infrastructure with high potential. The Club is the art exhibit and auditorium annex of the local paper Diario de Ibiza, which has rounded ten years of continuous regular art exhibitions, more than hundred sixty all together and a great number of concerts and conferences. Housed in a remarkably well designed double round landmark building it offers an international high standard showroom with a memorable, grand vibe, good lighting and even a pleasant smell. But no matter how appealing a venue, it is the people who make things happen. The memorable vibe is greatly the work of Rita Vallès, curator in charge and her colleague Toni Planells, both people you probably will not forget once you have met them. Both personalities of high radiation, they pair up to a team of healthy complementary opposites: Rita’s courageous frankness, stand fastness and radically open mind towards art reflects in the integrity of each show and the powerful continuity of the whole program, while Toni’s elfishly sensitive artistic nature looks at you with eyes that know what they see, making him a fine and trusted mediator between artist, art and audience. Together, they are masterful hosts who infallibly create a noble, yet intimate and familiar, competent yet serene ambience, making the Club the prime venue of the current visual art activity of the island. The Club started in 1993 as a non profit cultural media service for the public, a sublime extension of the journalistic mission of the Prensa Iberica news group, owners of Diario de Ibiza and several other regional news media, some of which also operate a Club. In fall 2004 the new edifice was inaugurated, offering a modern multipurpose auditorium with a hundred and fifty seats and a generous sickle shaped showroom which sovereignly accommodates anything from minute works for short distance to medium size sculpture to superpowered big format painting. Straight from the first art expo the Club provides a consistent program that serves both to showcase the established and emerging regional art activity as well as to bring new inspiring impulses of quality culture to Ibiza, thus filling a serious necessity usually not visible through the overload of shrill and hip superficiality on the island.

100

101

104

107

108

110

111

113

116

117

119

120

124

126

127

129

130

131

133

135

“E-20”

“Santa Inés en una gota”

“Vila under the storm”

“Pou des Lleó”

“Es Vedrá”

CRISTIAN M. FONTÁN fine art photography

M. +34 678 642 970 info@cristianmfontan.com

“IBIZA BEAUTIFUL WORLD”

“Ophrys Speculum”

137

“Santa Agnes”

138

139

142

143

JOAN F. RIBAS PHOTO www.jribas.500px.com Juan-Ribas@hotmail.com M. +34 648 75 61 60

145

146

147

149

“Skull V” custum prints on various media 152

153

154

156

159

160

161

163

166

168

172

174

178

IBIZA

iami, Florida, es invierno en ARTISTAS DE la costa caribeña, el clima es increíblemente agradable, AT THE una primavera europea. El idioma oficial es el inglés, pero en la calle se habla a la par que el español, el mundo latino está Texto: Elena Abeni/ El.Rol.Artworks aquí, proveniente de Centro y Sur América. Desde hace 13 años, la feria que viene del austero norte Europa, y que desde siempre ha creado tendencia e impulsado y liderado el mercado del arte, tiene sucursal aquí. Art Basel, seguida por una gran cantidad de otras ferias, que crecen en numero cada año y que han decidido aprovechar del increíble ambiente que se crea a su alrededor. Art Basel, Scope, Pulse, Untitled, Aqua, Nada, Select, Ink, Design Miami, Art Miami/Context, Artecho, Miami Project, Pinta Miami, Spectrum, Art Spot, Red Dot, Concept,Fridge, Miami Photo Salon, Miami River, Prizm, Fusion Mia, Mana Miami, Sculpt. Todas estas son las ferias de arte que se pueden ver de Martes a Domingo. Cuentan con el absoluto respaldo de todos los medios informativos. Algunas son imprescindibles, otras menos importantes, algunas enormes y otras pequeñas, la mayoría en carpas gigantescas en Midtown o en la playa misma, otras en salones o habitaciones de hoteles reconvertidas para acoger ferias. Art Basel, la más prestigiosa, esa sí, se gana el Convention Center de Miami Beach. No se puede ir a todas, o se tienen más de tres vidas paralelas o hay que decidir donde ir o donde no ir. No hay tiempo para todo, y esto, créase o no, es también parte fundamental del encanto de esta semana. Durante el periodo que duran las ferias, ya rebautizado y mundialmente conocido como Art Basel Week o más sencillamente Basel Week o Art Week, el relajado ambiente del lugar cambia completamente, se transforma en una efervescente pasarela para arte, artistas, galerías, galeristas, representantes, directores de museos, curadores, críticos, coleccionistas, profesionales, aficionados, periodistas, celebridades, fotógrafos, paparazzis… Es una cita deseada en el mundo del arte, derrocha glamour y hay para todos, para los que van en taxi y para los que toman los gratuitos shuttle buses que enlazan las varias ferias. Parece como si una performance multitudinaria se hubiese adueñado de esta ciudad multicultural, todo el mundo relacionado a lo que es arte se pasea por Miami durante la primera semana de diciembre, sorprendiendo a ignaros turistas atraídos por sus playas y diversiones. Es una auténtica sobredosis producida por el explosivo mix: Caribe, arte, V.I.P., business. Finalmente el sueño se hace realidad, la palabra más repetida, más querida, más valorada, más respetada, más perseguida, más importante, más cool, lo más de lo más es: Arte. En estas fechas nada importa más que el arte y lo que sucede a su alrededor. Muchos quieren ver, otros muchos quieren ser vistos, algunos sólo quieren ir a las fiestas que se organizan para celebrar las inauguraciones, eventos, happenings o presentaciones de artistas. Todas las técnicas y estilos artísticos en tal despliegue están contemplados, conviven: abstracción y realismo, arte conceptual y más comercial, arte moderno y contemporáneo, grandes nombres con artistas emergentes o no tan conocidos, quizás inventados, elegancia y provocación, y por supuesto, pintura y escultura, fotografía e instalación, materiales nobles y reciclados, brillo y opacidad, sutileza y ostentación, minimalismo y kitch, denuncia y aceptación, obras buenas y malas, mal gusto y exquisitez, grandes cifras y precios accesibles. Básicamente: lo que te guste, lo que entiendas, lo que te llegue y lo que no. La impresión es de que se mueva una increíble cantidad de dinero, que el peregrinaje artístico hacia esta Meca del arte realmente de sus frutos, las galerías y los artistas venden, y los amantes del arte compran, es un idílico intercambio que se repite año tras año, un punto de encuentro imprescindible. Es evidente que las galerías son protagonistas. Esta claro que en la Miami Art Week el arte es un gran negocio que mueve millones, no la idealizada relación entre artista y coleccionista. ¿Quien vale más?, ¿quien lo crea o quien lo vende?… ¿Quizás quien lo compra? Las galerías lideran el mercado, hacen, en muchos casos, un gran trabajo que a la mayoría de los artistas les sale difícil: vender. Y mucho se vende, no extraña que el mayor patrocinador de Art Basel, la feria más importante y glamourosa, sea uno de los más

grandes bancos suizos. Realmente parece que se pueda ir de “art shopping“, hay para todos los presupuestos en este gran supermercado del arte. Salvo contadas ocasiones Fotos: Roland Kocherhans, Georges Ward hay poco espacio para el arte independiente dentro de los espacios de las ferias. Aunque no se puede hablar de Art Week sin mencionar el Art Center de South Florida, una especie de paraíso del artista ubicado en la calle comercial más famosa de Miami Beach. Situado en dos enormes edificios de dos plantas, dividido en varios locales, es donde unos cuarenta artistas tienen sus estudios, trabajan, dan cursos y organizan exposiciones. Claramente todos tienen grandes expectativas durante esta semana. No es aconsejable ir a Art Basel Miami sin pasar por Wynwood. Todas las galerías importantes de Miami tienen su sede allí, son muchas y muy interesantes, todas obviamente organizan algo especial para la ocasión. Wynwood no ha parado de crecer, impulsado en gran parte, por no decir en su totalidad, por el Art Week. De barrio marginal en degrado, constituido por enormes naves, se ha transformado en barrio de moda. Los muros de los antaño almacenes que bordean sus calles están repletos de impresionantes graffiti de tamaño gigante, muchos son los grafiteros que desean pintar los muros de Wynwood, durante el art week se los rifan. Winwood, imprescindible, aunque se este convirtiendo en un gran parque temático por el que pasan buses turísticos y se vean carteles tipo: “Don’t disturb the artists“. Cuando el Art Week termine, Wynwood obviamente se queda, es uno de los mejores regalos de Art Basel a la ciudad, junto con el proliferar de nuevos museos y grandes colecciones privadas exhibidas al publico. Miami loves Art Basel, muchos, de forma directa o indirecta, sacan beneficio. Si tenéis la suerte de poder presenciar el espectáculo, es comprensible que podáis sufrir una especie de síndrome producido por el exceso de información, se manifiesta con pensamientos conflictivos que os harán maldecir y bendecir, a la vez e innumerables veces, el echo de estar allí. Tranquilos, todo normal, relax, estáis en el vórtice, en el epicentro del tornado artístico. Es normal que ya no se quiera más y que se tenga un rechazo, aunque no se pueda parar de consumir y querer ver más y más , de que se quiera y que físicamente no se pueda, de que se maldiga semejante show y de que no os lo queráis perder nunca más. Al acabar la semana todo se habrá ido, el arte volverá a ser aquel objeto de deseo inalcanzable para la mayoría de la gente. Quedaran las fotos para recordarlo y el cerebro a rebosar de información. Después de una experiencia así, seguramente os habréis convertido en las siguientes Art Basel Week victims, los próximos diciembres ya no serán iguales, si no podréis acudir os faltará una dosis de algo, extrañareis no haber vivido en primera persona uno de los más grandes show artísticos, el que se ha convertido en uno de los motores que hacen que cada vez más gente consuma arte. Poder estar allí os hará sentir de nuevo parte de este alocado grupo de gente que corre de un evento que no se puede perder a otro que es imprescindible. Si os dedicáis al arte, es posible que os produzca frustración no estar representados allí, que disfrutéis a media porque estáis todo el tiempo pensando en que bien quedaría una obra vuestra expuesta aquí o allí. No le deis muchas vueltas, no importa, aunque parezca que todo este representado, no es así, aunque es posible que sea una de las exposiciones artísticas más grandes, el arte es mucho más que esto, quizá sea esto y mucho más. Quizás sea esta semana, liderada por las galerías de arte, y muchas otras semanas más. Además, año tras año hay una nueva oportunidad, y … ¿porque no pensar en la próxima Bienal de Venecia?

MIAMI

ART WEEK

IBIZA

iami, Florida, it’s winter in the ARTISTS FROM Art Week is a business Caribbean coast,the climate that moves millions, EN LA is incredibly pleasant, like Spring not merely an idyllic in Europe. The official language relationship between is English, but on the streets of artist and collector. Miami, Spanish is spoken on an Who is most important, Text: Elena Abeni/ El.Rol.Artworks Photo: Roland Kocherhans, Georges Ward equal level with English, the Latin those who create the Translation: Dr. Ida S. R. Pape, London and Madrid. world is present here, coming from art or those who sell Central and South America. and promote it? Or perhaps those who buy it? The For 13 years, the art festival that comes from the austere galleries lead the market, in most cases they do a Northern Europe, which for many years has been great work that many artists find hard: they sell. And a trendsetting and an inspiration and leader in the art lot of art is sold here, which is why the major sponsor world, has a filial here. Each year, Art Basel, is followed of Art Basel, the most glamorous and important art by a great number of other art festivals, which are fair, are indeed the Swiss banks. And one can really growing in number, having decided to take advantage go art shopping here, there are things for all purses of the incredible scene that has arisen around the Miami and budgets here in this huge art supermarket. Art Week. Art Basel, Scope, Pulse, Untitled, Aqua, Nada, Select, Ink, With a few exceptions, there is, however, little space for independent Design Miami, Art Miami/Context, Artecho, Miami Project, Pinta Miami, art inside the various shows. But you cannot talk about Art Week Spectrum, Art Spot, Red Dot, Concept,Fridge, Miami Photo Salon, without mentioning South Florida Art Center, which is a sort of artists’ Miami River, Prizm, Fusion Mia, Mana Miami, Sculpt. All these art fairs Paradise on the most famous shopping street in Miami Beach. Situated are open from Tuesday through Sunday during the art week. in two huge two-storey buildings divided into several spaces, this is All these art fairs are wired to the newest information technology. Some where some 40 artists have their studios, workshops, course activity are must-see events, others are on the fringe; some are enormous and exhibitions. Clearly, all have great expectations during Art Week. and others are smaller; the majority in large tents in Midtown or on Likewise, one should not miss Wynwood during Art Week. All the large the beach itself, yet others in hotel salons or rooms adapted for the galleries have their headquarters there, and all organise something purpose. Art Basel is the largest and the most prestigious; and it wins special for the occasion. Wynwood has grown extensively in the past the prize of holding its exposition at the Convention Center in Miami years, to a large extent on the back of Art Week. From being a run Beach. down, marginal and industrial neighbourhood, it has now become It is impossible to go all the fairs during the Art Week. Unless you trendy. The walls of the former storage buildings which line the streets, have three parallel lives, you’ll need to decide where you want to go, are full of giant graffiti artworks that are really impressive. Many graffiti and which fairs to discard. There simply isn’t time to see it all, and, artists wish to paint the walls of Wynwood. Wynwood is a must-see, believe it or not, this abundance is a fundamental part of the charm even as it is becoming a tourist attraction, complete with tourist buses and enjoyment of the event. and large signs that read “Don’t disturb the artists“. During the time that the festival, now internationally known as Art Basel When the week is over, Wynwood is obviously still there, one of the Week, or merely Basel week, the relaxed ambience of the city changes most beautiful presents Art Basel has given the city, together with completely and becomes an effervescent showroom for art, artists, the proliferation of museums and private collections on exhibition. gallerists, agents, museum directors, curators, critics, collectors, Miami, no wonder, loves Art Basel, and many of its citizens benefit professionals, amateurs, journalists, celebrities, photographers, from it. If you are lucky enough to be able to visit this large show, it paparazzi... is understandable that you may suffer a sort of information overload, This is a desired event in the art world, which oozes glamour to go which will make curse and bless at the same time, and many times, round for everyone, those who arrive in taxi, as well as those who which will produce conflicting thoughts, the echo of the place and the use the free shuttle buses that connect the different art shows. activity. But take it easy, this is normal, you are in the middle of the The spectacle resembles a mass performance descending on this vortex, the great Art Tornado. It is normal that in the end you won’t multicultural city, as everyone in the art world, it want to see any more, you will be saturated, seems, comes to Miami during the first week of although at the same time you will not be December, surprising the tourists who come to able to think of anything but consuming this city for its beaches and fun. more, seeing more and more, you will want This is a sensory overdose, produced by more, but you will not be physically able to an explosive mixture: Art, Caribbean, VIPs, see more, you will curse this splendid show Business. It is like a dream that has finally and you will not want to miss it ever again. come true: The concept most repeated, respected, the coolest, the When the week is over, all will be gone, art goes back to being this most important and sought after, is ART. Nothing but art is important intangible object of desire, out of reach for most people. They will still during these heady days. Many want to see it, others want to be seen have the photos and their brain overflowing with information. After themselves, yet others are only here for the parties, events, happenings such an experience, you will surely become the next Art Week Victims, and presentations. December will never be the same again, if you cannot go, you will be An extraordinary spectacle of contrasts and convergences unfolds. All needing a dosis of something, you will miss being there in person at techniques and artistic styles are represented in the array: abstraction one of the greatest art shows, which has become a motor in promoting and realism, conceptual art and more commercial art, modern and a growing art consumption. If you can go, you will feel again that you contemporary art, great names and emerging artists; all are represented are part of this impetuous group of people who are running frantically and coexist here. As do provocation and elegance, painting and from one event that you absolutely must see, to one that you cannot sculpture, photography and installation, noble and recycled materials, possibly miss. If you are an artist yourself, it is possible that you will brilliance and opacity, subtleness and ostentation, minimalism and feel frustrated at not being represented there, that your enjoyment will kitsch, accusations and acceptance, large sums and affordable prices. marred by the thought of how good your own work would look in one Basically, whatever you like, whatever you understand by ART, what location or other. Don’t think too much about this, even if it appears touches you and what does not: it is all here. that everyone but you are represented here, this is not It is evident that the galleries are the protagonists. the case. Even if this is possibly one of the largest and One gets the impression of incredible sums of money most important art fairs in the world, art itself is even being moved around here, that the pilgrimage to bigger. It is much more than this. It may be this week, this Art Mecca really bears fruit as well, galleries led by the large galleries, and many other weeks. The and artist sell their works and art lovers buy them, in opportunity is there every year, and......why not go to the an seemingly idyllic exchange repeated each year. Biennale in Venice? An unmissable meeting point, it is clear that Miami 189

MIAMI

ART WEEK