Lluís Hortalà: the paradoxes of reality

The art of Lluís Hortalà lands with force and different appearances at the Vila Casas Foundation and does so with an exhibition full of irony, reflections on reality and limits using tromple-l'oeil. Paying attention to the Espais Volart at the Vila Casas Foundation must begin at the moment of entry with the warning that you should never trust everything you see of the artist from Olot.

Every step and pause that occurs with the works of Lluís Hortalà is a journey through the artist's work of the last thirty years, curated by Teresa Grandas and which will run until July 13. The universe of the exhibition is totally different, multifaceted, with this hybridization of languages that the artist adopts from sculptural paintings, photographic drawings, moving images, however, everything begins with a backbone: everything is a matter of point of view.

The Vila Casas Foundation, with a powerful exhibition agenda for 2025, together with Lluís Hortalà, have created an approach of games, looks, appearances, ironies, acceptance of deception or the possible replication of realities of the contemporary world. But the play of the gaze in this exhibition process, builds the same identity in the multiple factors that are in front of the viewer's gaze. Through this glance, this interpretation, in the form of reflection, Hortalà also links art and nature, since it is also important with Posar el dit a l'ull the biographical aspect, of stopping with his mountaineering practice in the past and of arriving at the desired place. From that initial point to reflections linked to culture, social politics, justice and power, but always in parallel with the aforementioned gaze and trompe-l'oeils.

No se ve nada (Prado), Lluís Hortalà (2022-2023)

Optical illusions, different perspectives, artifice painting, in short, a deception for the viewer, with a dialogue between exhibited works, mixing confusion for the visitor's eye, but which narrate the artist's working process and challenge contemporaneity with resources of tradition. Step by step, the exhibition follows a path through different themes, such as the gaze between Everest and Montserrat, optical illusions linked to the Palace of Versailles and the relationship between marble and power, until we stop in Nuremberg, history repeats itself twice, 2022-25. This unfinished work ("law and barbarism meet in an exercise of memory and reflection") is the artist's own workshop for the exhibition and narrates the working process until completion.

Guillotine (Louvre), Lluís Hortalà (2017-2019). © Borja Ballbe

Paying a visit to Posar el dit a l'ull is essential and absolutely necessary, and it is because it is one of the great exhibitions of this first part of 2025. Lluís Hortalà's work moves away from pure appearance and it is important to begin the look with the play of titles full of irony that explore limits and horizons, and this is already an indispensable starting point to open the doors of Espais Volart and begin a journey through the artist's last thirty years.

Exercitatori V, Lluís Hortalà (2010) © Miquel Ribot