Ibiza has been a magnet for bohemians, drifters, and artists of all inclinations for many decades now, so it should come as no surprise that the island has outstanding artistic spaces. Here are some of the top galleries—and events—on the White Isle to fill your eyeballs with art.
Ibiza Contemporary Art Museum
Archaeological site, Building, Museum
The Museu d’Art Contemporani features some major internationally renowned artists and really punches above its weight in terms of quality for such a small island. The permanent collection of Antoni Marí Ribas, one of the most prolific painters born in Ibiza, is well worth a browse, along with a spectacular collection of posters from nearby Carl van der Voort Gallery. Temporary exhibits are excellent too, including most recently a stunning collection of designs by the LOEWE fashion house. The historic building has been beautifully restored with glass floors laid over an archeological site making for an enjoyable stroll around some fantastic curations.
B12 The Gallery
The hipster B12 venue is a multipurpose space built with the aim of hosting a wealth of workshops, fashion shows, photoshoots and art events, as well as its regular exhibitions. Located on the outskirts of an industrial estate near the airport, the huge space has even seen warehouse-style parties with Ibizan DJs banging out tunes to a buzzing dance floor. Local Ibizan work also adorns the walls here, ranging from sculpture and paintings as well as multimedia and audiovisual work, and is open daily. http://instagram.com/p/BQ7iLqvg_Ig/?taken-at=646871689
Sargantana Gallery
This tiny gallery located in the quaint village of Sant Josep, dates back to 1978 and claims to be the oldest operating on the island. Opened originally by art merchant Gastão Heberle as a space to exhibit his wife Jussara’s artwork, the family-run charm of this space is ever present. The permanent collection now champions local talent, is devoted to exhibiting figurative paintings, and includes the work of some of the most prominent Ibizan creatives including Vicente Ferrer Guasch, Ángel Zabala and Miguel Rivera Bagur. Original oil paintings, watercolors, sculptures and postcards are available here to buy and take home as a memento of time spent on the island.
La Maison de l’Elephant
Store
Fronted by enormous sculptures of robots, silver skulls and pink elephants, it’s hard to miss this design concept store on the road to Sant Josep. Step inside to discover five floors dedicated entirely to outrageously quirky and contemporary design. Among the art you are able to find and buy decorations, antiques, unique furniture, and even fashion, ranging from humbly affordable to eye-wateringly expensive. The founder, Bruno Reymond, is interior stylist to many infamous buildings on the island, including the extravagant Ushuaia superclub and the gorgeous Pacha Hotel, and it is no surprise that his curations here make for an unforgettable visit.
Urban Spaces Art Hotel
Urban Spaces is a unique concept, incorporating a cute boutique hotel, a welcoming space for artists to meet, and a gallery. Inspired by similar projects discovered throughout his time spent in New York, founder Ian Francis-Smith decided to bring his own artistic vision to Ibiza. Situated in the heart of Ibiza Town, the small guesthouse plays host to a wealth of local and well-known international artists including Raul Moya-mula, Bill Worrell, Yas Mina and Mr Donka, and the ever changing exhibits make for an inspiring visit. Better yet, book yourself into one of the many wildly decorated rooms for the night—with wall-to-wall grafitti art you are immersed in color and bound to have some wacky dreams.
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Ruta Del Arte
Following in the footsteps of such events in Paris, London, Amsterdam and Barcelona, Ibiza too has its own annual “Ruta Del Arte,” hosted by Art Club Ibiza, where artists open up their creative spaces to the curious public for a limited period of time. Art lovers are able, by appointment, to explore the studios of more than 90 participants and meet the artists face to face as they explain their techniques and passions to an interested crowd. The official programme is launched in the popular Ibizan magazine An Artist’s Guide, followed by a celebration of the festival at the Palacio de Congresos that hosts a yearly exhibition of featured works from the event.
Situated in a prime location on the road from Ibiza Town to Santa Eulalia, this incredibly vibrant and chic gallery holds a popular and varied modern and contemporary portfolio from abstract sculpture, to fashion, figurative art and photography. It is also used as a creative space in which local artists, as well as exhibiting and selling their latest and greatest, can collaborate and experiment. Keep an eye on their events calendar for some of the island’s more unusual artistic events. http://instagram.com/p/BSmOTFyAYcg/?taken-by=mariolagescofet
Bloop Festival
The socially conscious Bloop art festival returns with a different theme every year to decorate the streets of Ibiza. Enormous and vibrant murals by prestigious graffiti artists adorn a multitude of walls across the island, while interactive audio-visual installations and photography exhibitions also excite and ignite the creative crowds season after season. Though not a permanent gallery per se, it is definitely an event worth noting in the diary for any art lover visiting the island.
A dyed-in-the-wool Londoner now firmly rooted among the cobbled streets of old town Palma de Mallorca, left a piece of himself in Mexico some time in the last millennium and had a previous existence touring the world with a band you've probably never heard of.
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