Sala Pelaires

Profil

Josep Pinya i Bonnin founded Sala Pelaires in 1969, creating the first gallery dedicated to contemporary art in Palma de Mallorca. Ever since then, it has been carrying out the unprecedented, arduous task of promoting contemporary art in Mallorca. Renowned national and international masters have been exhibited: Miró, Tàpies, Saura, Calder, Motherwell, and Moore among many others. At the same time, other important artists such as Menéndez Rojas, Riera i Aragó, Guillem Nadal, and Pep Llambías are also being promoted.

In 1970 Joan Miró held his first one-man exhibition in Mallorca. From then on, all the masters of 20th century contemporary art have exhibited in Pelaires, always thanks to Joan Miró's friendship, advice and support, such as for example Rafols Casamada, Andreu Alfaro, Anthony Caro, Antonio López, Arroyo, Christo, Clavé, Chillida, Botero, Guinovart, Henry Moore, Hernández Pijuan, Joan Brossa, Genovés , Julio González, Lucio Muñoz, Millares, Valdés, Canogar, Mompó, Motherwell, Ritch Miller, Ulbricht, Saura, Robert Llimós, Tàpies, etc, etc...

In 1972 the American artist Alexander Calder exhibited for the first time in Spain. Fruit of this exhibition and thanks to Joan Miró's connection together with Pelaires, Calder, gave the city of Palma, a sculpture (stabile-mobile), titled "Nancy", presently located at S'Hort del Rei.
During that very year, an exhibition of large format canvasses and a series of engravings by the well-known artist Pablo Picasso was held in honour of his 90th anniversary.
*In 1973 Pelaires, published the "Mallorca Series" by Joan Miró consisting of 36 original engravings. It has been shown all over the world in diverse exhibitions.

From the 80's on a new group of artists were added added, such as Ramón Canet, María Carbonero, Menéndez Rojas, Antoni Socias, Campano, Sicilia, etc, JMª Sirvent, Guillem Nadal, Pep, Llambías, Joan Artigas, Carmen Calvo, Ferrán García Sevilla, Cucchi, Sandro Chía, Xavier Grau, Lamazares, Peter Philips, Lluis Lleó, Rafa Forteza , Riera i Aragó, JMª Sicilia, etc. With the collaboration of Sala Pelaires and the City Council of Palma, the city receives two sculptures.

Writers, poets and critics as well known as of Camilo José Cela, Vargas Llosa, Alexandre Cirici Pellicer, Julio Cebrian, Gabriel Janer Manila, Calvo Serraller, Miguel Fernández Cid, Enrique Juncosa, Fernando Huici, Baltasar Porcel, Caballero Bonal, Vicente Alexandre, Miguel Angel Asturias, Pablo Neruda, Josep Meliá, Rafael Alberti, Blai Bonet.... etc. have collaborated in the catalogs

Portfolios of graphic art by artists such as Joan Micro, Sara, Mompó, Guinovart, Tapes, Simpered, Piton, and Chillida.... etc has also been published..

In 1990 Sala Pelaires proceeded to refurbish the Convent of the Trinitarias, the ancient Palacio de Can Veri built in 1625, turning it into the best private cultural center on the island and a reference point for the entire country. H.M. King Juan Carlos I inaugurated this Center in 1990, twenty years after Sala Pelaires was founded. It is a very spacious 17th century palace that has been restored in such a way that there are two large floors where both individual and group exhibitions can be held. Renowned artists of today's art world such as Hernandez Pijuan, Plensa, Miquel Navarro, Juan Muñoz, Chillida, Tàpies and Miró, among others, have exhibited here.

Various parallel cultural activities are also held at the Cultural centre, such as book presentations, concerts, etc.

Majorcan artists represented by Pelaires have exhibited at the Pelaires Contemporary Cultural Center , Duch as Menéndez Rojas, Guillem Nadal, Pep Sirven, Pep Llambías, María Carbonero as well as Hernández Pijuan, Guinovart, Bernardo Torrens, Barceló, Juan Muñoz, Miquel Navarro, Jaume Plensa, Tápies, Chillida, Millares, Luis Macías, Botero, Markus Lüperzt, Alexander Calder, Fiedler, Cucchi, Nitsche, Arnulf Rainer, Alex Kats, Frank Auerbach, Hannah Collins, etc.

The 30th anniversary of Sala Pelaires was celebrated in 1999 with three large individual exhibitions by Chillida, Tàpies and Miró. .

Since the Pelaires Cultural Centre opened both spaces have continued exhibiting, Sala Pelaires, located on the street by the same name, and the Pelaires Cultural Centre on Verí street.

Since 1982 Sala Pelaires has participated in various art fairs such as Arco, Art Frankfurt, Art Miami, Art Chicago , Art Cologne, Tokyo Art Expo, ArtAsia (Hong Kong), Hartísima (Turín).... etc, promoting Spanish art abroad. Likewise, constant collaboration with foreign galleries has been maintained, in order to introduce the work of our artists abroad.

Currently, the Pelaires Contemporary Cultural Center is open to all kinds of cultural activities such as conferences, book presentations, concerts, debates, etc.