Guilllem Nadal

I had a chance to visit the Centre Cultural Contemporani Pelaires in Palma where an exhibition named 'Sediments' by Guillem Nadal is currently on show. This was the first time I have seen any of Nadal's work but it has made a great impression. The Centre Cultural Contemporani Pelaires is situated in a typical Mallorcan terrace building with exemplary details connecting the original and the contemporary intervention. Clean white surfaces are seamlessly complemented by masonry arches and bold orange blushed stone facades. The threshold created with effortlessly thin planes of glass between the artificial interior of the gallery and the exposed nature of the courtyard is similar to some of Richard Neutra's houses, the Ohara house in California particularly comes to mind. The Ohara house was designed for a Japanese family and Neutra felt particularly important that none of the trees were to be disturbed, so there remains a eucalyptus tree in the centre with the building fabric hugging its presence. The tree is celebrated, as is the amazing view across the silver lake district of California. Anyway... the work on display by Nadal is a series of sculptures using part human part celestial figures growing roots beneath them connecting and expanding on human existence and the configuration of life and nature within the human sphere. The placement of the sculptures was essential, entering the gallery space you soon become surrounded by these roots, remnants of dead forests and decaying organic matter come to mind. This work has been inspirational to me and hopefully you will also explore some of his work....