A lively Facebook chat with Saelia Aparicio
I type the name Saelia Aparicio into Google, just as you might do the name of a blind date as a safety measure, to make sure they don’t turn out to be a serial killer. The result: a veritable avalanche of information and content.
Halcyon Gallery doesn’t look like your regular West End galleries. It is huge and palatial, with high ceilings and polished marble, like the house of a classier Tony Montana. As I entered I wondered just when exactly would they sniff out I didn’t belong there and kindly invite me to remove myself from the premises. They never did, of course, instead they were quite welcoming and they even took my jacket and fed me.
An art project and exhibition exploring human relationships with the sea by artists Lorna Barrowclough and Hondartza Fraga
The 33rd edition of ARCOmadrid came to an end last Sunday 23rd February. Over 160 galleries from 25 countries filled IFEMA’s pavillions for five intense days. Only three London galleries – not counting Marlborough* – were represented at the event: Faggionatto, Arcade, and Carroll/Fletcher.
Juan Delgado, Ringing Forest in Jerwood Open Forest.
Juan is a multidisciplinary artist living in London. His introspective work explores the intimate reality of life, the inner world of cities, of different cultures, and of people. Given that art is a natural extension of the artist, we observe in each of Delgado’s projects a high degree of profound self-examination and as such, we see individuals interacting in a given milieu, be it a forest, the sea or a city, through an entirely subjective prism. Delgado typically works with photography and film. In previous projects he has used three giant screens running simultaneously to project footage of various subject matters: a fearless tetraplegic woman navigating a sailing boat down the La Mancha Canal; the relationship between an individual and the violent society (such as that in certain suburbs of Bogota) in which he lives; a fascinating study of the Palestinians and their daily struggle against Israeli occupation.
London has always been a key destination for Spanish artists, whether struggling to make a name for themselves in their native country, or simply seeking inspiration outside its borders. For the last few years, London has been brimming with talent “made in Spain”. And it’s in this context that SpainNow has emerged, a project that, since 2009, has been promoting and giving a voice to all of these Spanish artists now settled in London.
Pinta London launches its fourth season with a very interesting program. More than 60 galleries bring together the most important artists from the Latin world.
Musician, architect and sound artist. Pablo A. Padilla combines perfectly his three professional facets and he confesses he doesn´t feel more comfortable in any one in particular. “The idea is try to connect all of them, although you must know there is a difference between music and sound art, they are not the same at all”. According to the artist from Madrid, based in London for three years, the main difference resides in a matter of time: “In music the time is essential whilst in sound art it’s not”, explains.
Stubborn, passionate, vulnerable and imaginative. This is how Montse Gallego describes herself. The Spanish artist, based in London for twelve years, has just celebrated the first anniversary of her personal project: Hundred Years Gallery, a cosy cultural and exhibition space located in the heart of Shoreditch. And, although she confesses she had never thought about having her own gallery, she values the experience very positively.
“I find it difficult when people ask me what I do, I feel a little guilty telling them I’m an artist, as though it isn’t really work … perhaps it’s because I enjoy it so much. .”