>> The Cookhouse Gallery, where the exhibition “Reinterpretations #2” will open next Tuesday, November 4, is known for hosting both emerging and established artists from around the world.
>> This international exhibition unites art, heritage and tourism by reinterpreting “Es Born a s’horabaixa” by Joan Fuster Bonnín, a work belonging to the heritage collection of the Barceló Foundation.
The collaboration between ADEMA Fine Arts and the Barceló Foundation has transcended borders, resulting in an international project that will bring emerging Balearic art to London as part of Palma 2031. Entitled Reinterpretations #2, third-year Fine Arts students from ADEMA will exhibit their work next Tuesday, November 4th, alongside students from Chelsea College of Arts at the University of the Arts London (UAL) at the Cookhouse Gallery. The pieces reinterpret Joan Fuster Bonín’s work, “Es Born a s’horabaixa,” coincide with the World Travel Market, one of the most important tourism events on the international calendar.
On this occasion, both institutions have decided to combine training in art, heritage and tourism, demonstrating how joint work between a university institution and a cultural foundation can promote contemporary creation, artistic research and the international dissemination of emerging talent.
Within the framework of this collaboration, as explained by the curator, Pilar Pujol, “ADEMA Bellas Artes and the Barceló Foundation promote a dialogue between the pictorial tradition of Mallorca and new artistic practices, projecting the island’s culture beyond its borders with the help of young artists who have put all their enthusiasm into this project.”
“Since its inception in 1989, the Barceló Foundation has carried out extensive work in conservation, research, and cultural promotion, understanding art as a means to enrich both individuals and society. Its collection of Mallorcan paintings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries constitutes a legacy that today inspires new interpretations through the perspectives of ADEMA’s Fine Arts students,” argued Pilar Pujol.
According to Amparo Sard, Head of Studies for the Fine Arts Degree, “the Reinterpretations program, born from the collaboration between both institutions, invites contemporary art to engage in dialogue with history. The works created reinterpret the landscapes, atmospheres, and symbols of Mallorcan painting, forging a bridge between memory and creation, past and present. This project conceives of art not only as an educational discipline but also as a space for reflection, knowledge, and social transformation.”
In this second edition, the proposals from students of ADEMA Fine Arts and Chelsea College of Arts at the University of Almería (UAL) become a microcosm where atmosphere, moving light, and mist construct spaces that invite contemplation. Trees whisper memories, collages assemble fragments of time, magnifying glasses reveal the invisible, music vibrates among the paintings, and gestures embody femininity and identity. Mythology intertwines with the everyday, while objects and clothing evoke personal and collective histories. Symmetry and shadows generate visual tensions that suggest mystery and depth, all with Palma and its Paseo del Borne as the symbolic backdrop and axis of the visual narrative.
In this regard, Pilar Pujol explained that “the exhibition places the viewer in a social and sensory space, where perception and participation are integrated into the artwork. Through video performances, interactive installations, sound compositions, and object-based pieces, the visitor experiences a journey that appeals to all the senses and transforms the gallery into a living environment, open to interpretation. Reinterpretations #2 is thus configured as a collective reflection on identity, memory, and contemporaneity.”
Palma’s exterior projection
The participation of students from Chelsea College of Arts alongside students from ADEMA gives the exhibition an international dimension. This academic exchange strengthens Palma’s international profile and contributes to supporting the city’s bid to become European Capital of Culture 2031, consolidating its position as a creative, diverse, and culturally vibrant city. The event is organized in collaboration with the Palma City Council, the Balearic Government’s Ministry of Tourism and Culture, and the Balearic Institute of Studies.
Both Antonia Barceló, president of the Barceló Foundation, and Diego González, president of ADEMA, expressed their satisfaction at carrying out this international project within the context of the World Travel Market. “The exhibition also takes on a special dimension. By being integrated into one of the major tourism events, the project highlights the alliance between art and tourism, demonstrating that culture can be an engine of sustainable development and a tool of cultural diplomacy,” they stated.
More than a century after the creation of Es Born a s’horabaixa by the artist Joan Fuster Bonnín, part of the Foundation’s heritage art collection, Reinterpretations #2 once again places Palma at the heart of the dialogue between tradition and the avant-garde. The exhibition not only preserves historical memory but also projects it into the future, generating new narratives that integrate art, urban space, and citizenship.