Les Taules
Occupied since the Bronze Age, Menorca has inherited its talayotic sites from prehistoric times, and these are included on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Talayotic culture developed in Menorca and Majorca at the end of the second millennium. Its emblem is the talayots or taules, megaliths or monumental stone constructions. The term taula comes from the Catalan word for "table", a reminder of the structure of these vestiges, witnesses to the island's first occupants, which punctuate the landscape.
Archaeologists agree that taulas are purely symbolic monuments. Most of these behemoths are concentrated in the southern half of the island. Don't miss the Naveta des Tudons, a unique collective tomb housing around a hundred deceased.
The Talayotic village of Trepucó, between Maó and Sant Lluís, has the advantage of free access, as do Son Catllar (towards Son Saura, in Ciutadella), Calescoves (near Cala en Porter), and Torralba d'en Salort and So na Caçana (between Alaior and Cala en Porter).
Cultural whirlwind
In the centuries that followed, the native population witnessed a succession of the most advanced civilizations. The Phoenicians and Greeks saw it as a trading platform. Much later, the British and French appreciated it as a military base. In between, the Romans left behind a number of fascinating gems, which can be admired at the Ciutadella Municipal Museum, among others. Ciutadella, the island's second-largest city and a charming port, sums up the island's history in a nutshell.
Taking a different approach, the Museu de Menorca in Maó traces Menorca's history through its heritage. Housed in a17th-century baroque convent, the museum evokes prehistory and Talayotic culture, as well as Roman, Muslim, Andalusian, British, French and Spanish civilizations. The museum also focuses on painters recognized as milestones in the evolution of Menorcan painting. The diversity of their views of the island is striking.
Influences and renewal
Despite its isolation following the British invasion in 1708, the archipelago opened up to European influences. This was followed by a prosperous period that corresponded to the Age of Enlightenment. A symbol of the island's cultural enrichment, the Menorcan painter Pasqual Calbó i Caldès (1752-1817) deserves a special mention. He found Menorca the ideal place to satisfy both his intellectual curiosity and his creativity. This erudite character mastered several languages, which enabled him to study in Vienna and Rome before crossing the Atlantic. In 1787, he worked as a landscape painter in America, painting black culture in New Orleans before immersing himself in the spirit of the Caribbean.
Pasqual Calbó i Caldès returned to Menorca at the age of 28. He gave up his commercial ambitions to settle on his island and pursue a career as a painter. The island's various museums display his religious paintings, landscapes and numerous portraits, which combine psychological finesse and technique.
Impressionism
Impressionist inspiration, characterized by outdoor subjects and light effects, was introduced by the painter Francesc Hernandez Monjo, who was born in Menorca in 1862 and died in 1937. A stickler for oil on canvas, he reproduced impressionist landscapes and classical portraits. His landscapes inspired by the Mediterranean were brought together in a traveling exhibition entitled "Marines". The retrospective stopped off at the Centre d'Art Ca n'Oliver in Maó, and the Sala Municipal d'exposicions del Roser in Ciutadella. The exhibition space is the baroque church of Notre-Dame del Roser, transformed into a gallery. Its program of temporary exhibitions includes contemporary art. Through these exhibitions, curator Carles Jiménez reconstructs the history of the island for the public. Impressionism, brought to France by Monet from 1860 onwards, who invited Degas, Pissarro and Cézanne to leave their studios and paint, became a sensation in Spain at the end of the 19th and into the 20th century, imported to Menorca by Francisco Hernández Monjo. Monjo's seascapes represent the quintessence of this movement.
The blue girls by Marc Jesús
Born in Ibiza in 1966, Marc Jesús learned his art in his father Ramon Jesús' studio. He developed a singular style, characterized by blue female figures and a rather graphic, cut-out line. In his teens, he created sets for his school's theater, then posters and illustrations for the press. He trained in drawing, engraving and jewellery-making, which is reflected in the sharpness of his line. From then on, painting became his almost exclusive mode of expression, and his popularity continued to grow. Revealed by the Sant Antoni prize in Mallorca, he exhibited in Barcelona and then at the Arco in Madrid. In 2016, a Spanish beer brand used four of his paintings for its international advertising campaign. In addition to his studio, he now exhibits in Menorca at Galerie Argos in Maó and Galerie Vidrart in Ciutadella.
Minorcan street art
Ciutadella is the epicenter of urban art. The Ciutadella Street Art Festival takes place every year, from late July to October. Since 2014, some 20 local artists have been invited each year to express their talent in the streets of the city. Frescoes of all styles embellish the historic center. A must-see all year round as you stroll through this charming city.
Local street art celebrities include Marc Jesús, Ivan Khanet and Margarita Espinosa, among others. Each work has an informative QR Code. In carrer del Castell Rupit, a "Dalí moustache" plays hide-and-seek behind a low wall.
Contemporary scene
A 15-minute crossing takes you to the paradisiacal setting that has been home to the Hauser & Wirth gallery since 2021. On arrival at Illa del Rei, a tree-lined path lined with contemporary sculptures, including an installation by Eduardo Chillida and a compression by Paul McCarthy, leads to the exhibition rooms.
Hats off to the LÔAC contemporary art center in Alaior. Its international collection brings together some of the greatest names in Spanish art: Miró, Tàpies, Barceló, Arroyo and Picasso. On dynamic Menorca, a blossoming of galleries reveals talents yet to be discovered.
