Hauser & Wirth Menorca debuted its exhibition space on Illa del Rei over the weekend, an island in Mahon harbor. The location features eight galleries, including an Education Lab, an outdoor sculpture trail with works by Louise Bourgeois, Eduardo Chillida, Joan Miró, and Franz West, and a garden designed by Piet Oudolf.
Hauser & Wirth Menorca on Isla del Rey, photo by Be Creative, Menorca, courtesy Hauser & Wirth.
Illa del Rei island is home to a decommissioned naval hospital and a group of disused buildings constructed in the 18th century. Working closely with the Fundació Hospital de l’Illa del Rei and the Town Hall of Mahon, Hauser & Wirth conducted a major conservation project to repurpose the building’s infrastructure into an art center. The restoration was led by Argentinean architect Luis Laplace to preserve and enhance the history of the site.
Eduardo Chillida, “Elogio del vacío VI,” 2000, photo by Daniel Schäfer, courtesy of the Estate of Eduardo Chillida and Hauser & Wirth.
With new and improved sustainable measures incorporated within the architecture, such as rainwater collection protocols, reverse osmosis water treatment, and energy efficient climate control for the buildings, Hauser & Wirth aims to provide educational activities to engage both the local community and visitors with contemporary art through screenings, talks, and workshops.
Hauser & Wirth Menorca on Isla del Rey, photo by Daniel Schäfer, courtesy of Hauser & Wirth.
The work of American artist Mark Bradford inaugurates the space with a solo exhibition “Masses and Movements,” on view through October 31.
Extending across seven galleries, Bradford presents an installation of globe sculptures, two site-specific wall paintings, and a collection of new canvases based on a 16th century map of the world. “As businesses and schools closed and as countries shut their borders in 2020, everyone began to understand the power embedded in the lines on our maps. We think maps are there to give us a sense of security with regard to place, but it’s amazing how fast that changed,” said the artist in a statement. “Maps have always been shady. So much of what we understand about landmasses comes from cartographers and their relationships to power, and the need to always keep a place for Europe at the centre of history. I’m interested in the potential for abstraction to pull the stories from the margins onto the pages of that history.”
The Education Lab by Mark Bradford and the students from Escola d’Art de Menorca at Hauser & Wirth Menorca, photo by Daniel Schäfer, courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth.
A social engagement with PILAglobal is also part of Bradford’s project, where the artist and his team worked alongside students from Escola d’Art on Illa del Rei to paint maps of the world. The collaboration focuses on bringing art education to immigrant communities and highlights the global immigration crisis, continuing his career-long exploration of the systems that oppress marginalized groups.
The Education Lab by Mark Bradford and the students from Escola d’Art de Menorca at Hauser & Wirth Menorca, photo by Daniel Schäfer, courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth.
PILAglobal is a residency that provides innovative education for children and families affected by displacement and poverty worldwide. The non-profit organization creates learning spaces called ‘Nests,’ where young children can engage in the important work of learning, playing, and creating during their childhood. With locations in Athens and Lesvos, Greece; the Democratic Republic of Congo; and on the U.S-Mexico border in Tijuana, each Nest is filled with local and international volunteers who help cultivate passions for children.
The Education Lab by Mark Bradford and the students from Escola d’Art de Menorca at Hauser & Wirth Menorca, photo by Daniel Schäfer, courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth.
Alise Shafer Ivey, Executive Director of PILAglobal said, “Every child deserves the right to not only an education, but a beautiful space that inspires curiosity and wonder. The support provided through this commitment from Mark Bradford will enable us to create new Nests, and train local educators. Each day we see the positive impact that unlocking a safe space for creative education has on families, providing them with vital respite in otherwise incredibly harsh conditions.”
“The level of creativity and commitment from these students and my team, Marcos Lopez, España Martinez, and Lola Mercadal, has been truly remarkable. The project is a response to the global refugee crisis and our work together has been a meeting of minds across continents,” said Bradford.
The Education Lab by Mark Bradford and the students from Escola d’Art de Menorca at Hauser & Wirth Menorca, photo by Daniel Schäfer, courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth.
