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2011

 Press Release

“Concepts”From November 3 to November 29, 2011. . Exhibition Opening: November 3, from 6-8 pm

Location: The Gabarron Foundation, Carriage House Center for the Arts, 149 East 38th Street, New York NY 10016

New York. September, 2011. The Gabarron in New York is pleased to present “Concepts”, an exhibition of conceptual art realized by eight visual artists from the Balearic Islands. The Carriage House Center for the Arts is included among New York City’s most prestigious cultural institutions as part of the 2nd Catalan Days Festival, in collaboration with its organizer the Institut Ramon Llull, celebrating the language and culture of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. This exhibition is curated by María José Corominas and Ana Bárbara Cardellá. The opening reception will be held on Thursday November 3rd, from 6 to 8 PM.

Etymologically, the word conceptual derives from the word concept. The concept of a work is tantamount to its soul, that which is essential for it to exist and instill it with meaning. In the 1970s the importance of the work of art ceased to be solely about its function as an object and focused also on its original conception. The Balearic Islands have always been home to a wide range of artists, most of who tended towards figurative art, until the 1980s when the tide turned towards more abstract and alternative works. “Concepts” brings together renowned artists Rafa Forteza, Teresa Matas, Guillem Nadal, Fernando Megías, Amparo Sard, Antonio Socías, Rafael Timoner, and Horacio Sapere, who seek to manifest the most profound values that lie at the core of each piece. The works included in this exhibition range from sound and video installation to dress sculpture and drawing. “Concepts”, explains curator María José Corominas, “allows comparison between these artists from the Balearic Islands and artists from other parts of the world, while recognizing the quality of the work they present.”

The Catalan Days Festival was first presented by the Institut Ramon Llull in 2009, introducing over 10,000 New Yorkers to a wide range of cultural offerings. Vicenç Villatoro, the Institut’s Director says, “This year, bringing together many previous positive experiences, the Institut Ramon Llull has organized and fostered a broad spectrum of cultural activities under the title of Catalan Days. Therefore, by way of the specific works of a significant number of artists, the overarching goal is to recall and evoke the tradition of Catalan culture and its desire to be universal and to add its grain of salt to the great debates of today.” The Catalan Days Festival incorporates a round table discussion at the City University of New York Graduate Center, and exhibitions and concerts throughout New York City during the Fall.The Institut Ramon Llull is a consortium created by the governments of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands with the objective of promoting its language and culture abroad. It was founded in 2002 and carries out its activities in the areas of the Performing and Visual Arts, Language and Universities, and Literature and the Humanities. In the domain of the Performing and Visual Arts, the Institut’s mission is to increase the international impact of Catalan arts through the use of appropriate promotional strategies and activities, encourage the internationalization of outstanding artistic work, foster mobility of artists and artworks abroad and broaden the international awareness of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands’ artistic heritage. Toward these ends, the Institut organizes projects and joint initiatives with cultural institutions and organizations in other countries or cultures.

The Gabarron Foundation – Carriage House Center for the Arts is a non-profit organization and an exclusive international center specializing in art exhibitions and other cultural activities. Its main objective is the promotion of Culture, making this multicultural space a reference in the City of New York. Since 2002 the Carriage House has aspired to be an excellent platform for the propagation of Hispanic culture in the United States. This organization promotes exchange and understanding between Spanish and American cultures, providing a space for interaction and enhanced appreciation of emerging and established cultural figures from both countries.

 

For further information and/or images, please contact:

Curatorial and Exhibitions Department;

T: 212 573 6968; exhibitions@gabarron.org: http://www.gabarron.org