The singular horizon of Manuel Solà

Barcelona sculptor Manuel Solà, with a career marked by the fusion of archetypal materials and forms, presents a selection of pieces that dialogue with the natural environment of the Parc dels Estanys with the exhibition Horitzó Singular. With a work influenced by cubism and constructivism, Solà transforms iron, wood and stone into figures that evoke memory and time, establishing a bridge between tradition and contemporaneity. In this interview, the artist talks to us about his inspiration, his career and the relationship of his work with the public and the current market.

Alexandra Planas Camps. Could you give us your five cents about the new sculpture exhibition you are presenting at the Parc dels Estanys in Platja d'Aro and how do you think its outdoor location can influence it?

Manuel Solà. I think it's a great idea to offer this platform publicly to the people on the street. This natural space of the Parc dels Estanys in Platja d'Aro is a wonderful place, surrounded by living beings (birds), where, in addition to walking, people can enjoy the works of the creators who exhibit there. On this occasion, I present my sculptural work entitled Horitzó Singular. The exhibition includes a summary of fifteen pieces made in 1991. The common thread is my personal language, with its own characteristics, and is divided into different chapters, as if it were a book of literature.

© David Borrat / EFE

APC. What is the central idea of the exhibition and what was the source of inspiration for these works?

MS. In this exhibition I present torsos that represent my first experience in Athens about 50 years ago. Specifically, the inspiration came to me after my visit to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, where I noticed a series of bronze pieces of very hieratic beings from the post-geometric period, around 1800 BC. That collection left me speechless and awakened a great inspiration. Forty-five years later, I remembered the emotion that those bronze kouros torsos caused me and I wanted to create this series that I am now exhibiting in the Parc dels Estanys. The aim is to reproduce the impact that I felt on that visit to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. It is a vibrant emotion because the gaze of these sculptures is absolutely timeless. I think that few works of art have this timelessness; I only remember a Virgin Mary that I saw in a village in Catalonia, which had never been touched up and retained this timeless gaze. In short, my work focuses on the profound gaze, the essence of the human being, which, after all, is part of the cosmology of which we are participants and heirs.

APC. How do you perceive the evolution of the sculpture market in recent years? Have you noticed changes in the profile of collectors or in the way the general public is interested in this discipline?

MS. The lack of interest in sculpture for too many years has created a void in the investing public. But I believe that the institutions are not to blame! The problem originated in the eighties and nineties with the massification of the market, when everything was sold “very expensively”. Prices were very high and, instead of taking care of collectors, we ended up exploiting them. I have often said this. We creators are as responsible as the gallery owners for that situation, and now we are paying the consequences. People “don't pay attention to us” and nothing is sold, only to investors.

APC. How do you see your artistic career in the coming years?

MS. I try to continue living with enthusiasm and continue producing my work, which for me are “solidified thoughts.” I also try to enjoy life, my existence, and be harmonious with everything around me, despite my bad character (laughs).

© David Borrat / EFE