November 2011 – May 2012
Curator: Natalia Fernández Segarra
The Bestiary exhibition aims to show the living and brilliant world of animals in Granells work, as well as in the Granell Foundations different collections.
Beginning with the profound interest that Granell expressed throughout his life in real and imaginary fauna: birds, horses, bulls, beings undergoing metamorphosis -real ones such as butterflies and toads, and invented ones such as, for example, the different Pájaro-flor, Caballo de príncipe or Égloga piscatoria– and continuing with the interest in this subject on the part of many of his travelling companions.
The exhibition features, in all of Pazo de Bendañas rooms, Granells rich world of fauna as well as works by Barjola (bulls), Max Ernst (birds), Walter Svanberg (fish), Mirage by Ludwig Zeller and Susana Wald, horses by Cruzeiro Seixas, Rafael Zubaleta, Laxeiro, fantastic beings by Juan Barreto, Reimundo Patiño, a Minotaur by Picasso and aquatic creatures by Alex Weiss, Antonio Fernández Molina and Enrique Santiago.
The Amparo Segarra Room adds collages by Granells partner, in which animals play a very important role (monkeys, bees, camels, cockerels and chickens). In the Philip West Room, we will find works by this artist who had great knowledge of the world of ornithology; he also created a fantastic world of creatures undergoing metamorphosis.
Objects from Granells ethnic collection, which abounds in horses and birds, as well as different animals from Africa, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Portugal and Spain, are also included in Bestiary.
The exhibition is completed with material from the Granell Library, including books and articles kept by the artist dealing with different animals, especially Spanish fauna, but also creatures in danger of extinction. After all, Granell was also an ecologist!.
Undoubtedly, this exhibition, apart from showing the variety and complexity of the artistic collections belonging to the Foundation, its Granell Library and its archives, will also open new doors to Eugenio Granells creative and imaginative world.
The exhibition will feature interactive activities for children and for the public in general. It will also include the presence of persons interested in the animal kingdom, who will give talks for the public.
