Ibiza has always provided inspiration for artists and for the different civilisations that have passed through the island over the centuries, such as the Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths, and Arabs, all of whom have left their historical and cultural imprint on the place. Painters, writers, artisans and musicians have long been inspired by the white island, making a fertile cultural breeding ground, one result of which is the Nave Salinas Foundation, located in the Ses Salines Natural Park. The brainchild of Lio Malca, this warehouse formerly used to store salt in the 1940s, has, since 2015, been converted to a venue for cutting-edge exhibitions that seek to bring diverse artistic media to the public.
This year, the Nave Salinas Foundation will be showing the work of Australian artist Jonny Niesche with his three monumental works entitled “_ness”, designed specifically for this exhibition space, and which can be visited this summer until 27 October.
Jonny Niesche has exhibited his work in London, New York, Vienna and Los Angeles, with which he seeks to incite viewers to question changing modes of perception through its space, form and materiality. Niesche explores artistic options in order to highlight light, colour, space and material, while eschewing canvases, oils and figurative art. In this way, Niesche aims to limit his possibilities, confining himself to focus on specific elements in order to open up to new ideas and ways of thinking.
A minimalist show that seeks to mesmerise
In this exceptional Ibizan exhibition space, Niesche presents these minimalist works which mesmerise and encourage the viewers to explore their own sensorial perceptions, as they find themselves immersed in the works and in this dynamic space.
This exhibition is accompanied by an extremely novel soundtrack, namely the sounds heard inside a black hole in the centre of the Perseus galaxy. The recording was made last year by NASA and has been edited for the purpose of the show, so that the sound envelops the whole exhibition, creating a complete artistic experience.
The exhibition is entitled ‘_ness’, a suffix that serves to turn an adjective into a noun, and thus the title relates to its purpose, which is to give visitors the opportunity to feel liberated and free from constraints, endeavouring not to name the possible emotions that these artistic creations are able to evoke in those who view them.