First echoes
Narcís Puget i Viñas (1874-1960) was the first Ibizan painter to arouse interest outside the archipelago. He multiplied the landscapes of the island, treated in an impressionist style. The themes dear to costumbrismo, namely those that reflect the customs and habits, dominate his long career. In 2007, 130 of his creations joined the collection of the fabulous Museu Puget
in Dalt Vila.His contemporary Laureano Barrau was one of the first artists to make Ibiza their home. The painter, born in Barcelona in 1863, studied in Madrid before continuing his training in Paris. He settled in Ibiza at the age of 47, more precisely in Santa Eulària des Riu, where he continued to produce until the age of 98. When he died in 1957, his wife opened a museum in the village to house his works. The museum closed down and, until it is reinstalled in the parish hall, his works can be seen at the Ethnographic Museum of Puig de Missa
. Barrau witnessed the first wave of exiles in 1930. Thinkers, painters and architects from all over Europe fleeing fascism found refuge in the islands. Cultural life was greatly energized. Raoul Haussman, co-founder of the Dadaist movement, settled in Ibiza at this time. Far from the turmoil of the Second World War, the island offered a protected setting for artists. Add to this an environment and climate that were, to say the least, favourable, and you can understand its success. At the end of the 1950s, one can even speak of a craze. The beatniks, soon followed by travellers, outsiders and refugees from all walks of life, settled here to paint, sculpt or write.Grupo 59 and Grupo Puget
The German Erwin Bechtold settled in Ibiza in 1954, maintaining artistic bridges with the European capitals. In 1959 he founded Grupo Ibiza 59 with Erwin Broner, which brought together the Western avant-garde: the Germans Hans Laabs, Egon Neubauer and Katja Meirowsky; the Americans Robert W. Munford and Erwin Broner, the Swede Bertil Sjoeberg and the Spaniards Antonio Ruiz and Carlos Sansegundo. It was more of an alliance than a school, each developing their own style. The first gallery in Ibiza, El Corsario, opened the same year. Museums, exhibition halls and galleries developed rapidly in the archipelago. The Ivan Spence and Carl Van Der Voort galleries opened up the Ibiza scene to the world.
For their part, the locals Marí Ribas, Vicent Calbet, Ferrer Guasch and Antonio Pomar formed the first artists' collective in Ibiza, the Grupo Puget, in 1962. They named their association after the precursor Narcís Puget i Viñas. Marí Ribas, known as Portmany (1906-1974), produced thousands of drawings that depict popular life in Ibiza. Antoni Pomar (1927-2017) trained in Ibiza and then in Valencia, before becoming a teacher at the Ibiza School of Arts and Crafts. Attached to the technique, he painted scenes of local life full of nostalgia.
The first Balearic Biennial took place in 1964, shortly before the creation of the first Spanish Museum of Contemporary Art.Haven of culture
The inauguration of the Museu d'art contemporani d'Eivissa (MACE) in 1970 changed the situation. Located in the historic quarter of the city, it was the first museum of contemporary art to open in Spain. From the outset, it affirmed its ambition to transmit the island's cultural heritage. Later, in order to emphasise contemporary creation, the museum enriched its collection with works by Mallorcan artist Miquel Barcelò, famous for his monumental frescoes, and sculptor Barry Flanagan, who spent a large part of his life on Ibiza. In recent years, the institution has joined forces with local galleries to promote renowned artists. In collaboration with the Parra & Romero gallery, which focuses on minimalist and conceptual art, the institution has supported the project of the Uruguayan Luis Camnitzer. Ibiza's art breaks the boundaries. Bars, restaurants and hotels are even getting in on the act by hosting exhibitions.
Officially Street art
Urban art is also accessible to all. Two galleries are following the trend: the Adda Gallery and Art Projects Ibiza
are helping to integrate this form of expression into the cultural agenda.As for the artists, two major graffiti artists are from Ibiza. Hosh has been practicing graffiti since 1991. He lets himself be carried away by his inspiration mixed with pop art
and the world of cartoons to embellish the island. Jerom is known for his hyper-realistic figures and social subjects. Founded in 2011, the Ibiza BLOOP Festival brings street artists to the forefront. As a result, companies are soliciting their talents. Hotels, in particular, are having their facades redecorated by muralists. Okudart and Felipe Pantone have decorated the walls of theUshuaïa (Playa d'en Bossa).Meet the art
Artists' associations are multiplying their community projects. The Ruta del Arte involves 80 artists who open the doors of their studios to the public every year in June. Information on the website of the artists' association Art Club Ibiza. The Ibiza Best Photo and Art Gallery stems from a Facebook group created with the idea of sharing photographs of the island. Amateurs and professionals have been so successful that they have created an amazing photo gallery.
Among the multitude of exhibition spaces, the most original (and perhaps the most beautiful): the Far de Ses Coves Blanques in Sant Antoni. An exhibition room in a lighthouse with a view of the bay. The most cutting-edge: the Can Daifa Gallery in Santa Eulalia combines local creators (Laura Bofill, Juan Alcalde) and great masters (Picasso, Tàpies). The island's largest cultural centre, the Palacio de Congresos de Ibiza, in Santa Eulària, hosts all kinds of events featuring local and international artists. The patron and collector Lío Malca defends contemporary art on board a boat: the Art Gallery - La Nave Salinas, in Ses Salines, remains one of the most exciting places to take the pulse of Ibiza's artistic scene.
