OPEN AIR PAINTING. URBAN ART. LAND ART. CONTEMPORARY VISUAL ARTISTS AND PATRONS LIVING IN THE CALVIA

OPEN AIR PAINTING

Every year, the “Art Calvià” association - an organisation which groups around 100 professional and amateur artists who reside in the Calvià municipality- organises open-air painting events and competitions.  These involve group excursions to multiple scenic areas (hills, country side, rocky coast, sandy beaches…etc.) for landscape painting and life drawing sessions (see yearly “Trobada de Pintors”). The group also organises numerous exhibitions which they advertise through the local guide to cultural events “Cultura Calvia”, published and distributed by the Culture Department of the Town Hall.

URBAN ART

The municipality has always had a policy of encouraging creativity and art, especially amongst the younger inhabitants of the island. One of its initiatives has included allocating so-called “legal walls” (i.e. walls and surfaces where artists are invited to carry out their works of graffiti, mural paintings, and urban art). These walls are scattered all over the municipality, and are an ongoing project, undergoing constant evolution. Some examples can be seen in:

-         Steps connecting the Puerto Portals and the Bendinat beaches
-         Entrance to the Son Bugadelles industrial site
-         External walls of local schools

Often the posters and fliers of local fiestas are designed by the most talented of these young “urban artists”.

LAND ART

The coastline along the Portals and Bendinat beaches, and rocks around the peer of Puerto Portals, hide intriguing carvings with a variety of motifs including fish, human footprints, and other forms of sea life. There is no set route for discovering them; they come into view in what seem to be random places when one walks along the coast, and there is no official plaque or sign explaining where these carvings come from.

The story behind these works is a curious anecdote which illustrates Calvià’s intimate and co-conspirator-style relationship with its artists.

The story goes that in 2004 Ahmad Nadalian, an artist, philosopher and contemporary thinker, traveled from his native Iran to the island as part of his European tour. He spent three weeks preparing for an exhibition and creating a sculpture which he donated to the Town Hall. During his stay, he performed a series of “land art” interventions on the Calvià coastline. Curiously, he kept these interventions a secret, and Calvianers only began to discover the little treasures he left behind after he had returned to his country. The carvings that can be found across the coastline, date back to this visit.

CONTEMPORARY VISUAL ARTISTS AND PATRONS LIVING IN THE CALVIA MUNICIPALITY

Chiang, Ricard: One of the best known contemporary artists emerging from the Balearic Isles, he was first discovered as a young aspiring, artist when he presented a painting to the yearly visual arts competition “Rei en Jaume” organised by the culture department of the Calvià Town Hall.

Cano, Ferrán: One of the most respected and admired gallerists and contemporary art collectors in Spain. He was the man who first discovered Miquel Barceló when the now internationally celebrated artist was only 16 years old. Ferrán Cano has two exhibition spaces in Spain, one is situated in the old town of Palma, and the other is in Barcelona.

Ferrá Martorell, Lucas: Founder and president of the association of artists and amateur painters “Art Calvià”.

Fiol, Xavier: A young gallerist and art collector who specialises in contemporary visual art. He is one of the most respected in the island with a regular stand in ARCO, the yearly contemporary art fair which is held in Madrid. Xavier lives in Calvià and is one of the main promoters of local talent.

Garló: One of the youngest talents, is a young artist who began working as a graffiti artist on the streets of Calvià before being discovered by art galleries and institutions both within the island and outside – look out for this young emerging star.

Juan Martorell, Marta: Photographer who won the “Rei en Jaume” photography award in 2004.

Lares Yanes, Lister: Photographer and designer who was a finalist in a visual arts competition organised in 2004 to celebrate the world chess championships held in Calvià.

Marchetta, Rosemary: Painter and sculptor who trained under the tutelage of Ellis Jacobson, an internationally recognised American artist who moved to Mallorca in the 1960’s after falling in love with the island.

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