Walking, running, falling at L21 Gallery

Artists: Ignasi Aballí, Marc Badia, Stevie Dix, Robert Filliou, José Antonio Hérnandez-Díez, Erika Hock, Laurens Legiers, Sharon Lockhart, Cristina de Miguel, Gema Polanco, Olivier Renevret, Borja Santomé, Sinéad Spelman, Endre Tót, Anne Van der Linde, Ian Waelder

Exhibition title: Walking, running, falling

Venue: L21 Gallery, Mallorca, Spain

Date: December 17, 2021 – February 4, 2022

Photography: Juan David Cortés  / all images copyright and courtesy of the artist and L21 Gallery, Mallorca

“Walking, running, falling” begins a series of five exhibitions at L21 LAB dedicated to celebrating ten years of L21, a project born in 2012 in Palma de Mallorca. The cycle, which is curated with Francesco Giaveri, showcases works by artists represented by the gallery alongside international ones who are significant and relevant in relation to the gallery programme.

In this series of exhibitions, the body and language have been used as a trail to explore. Both function as leitmotifs or guiding concepts in these exhibitions where the aim is not to demonstrate a thesis, but to propose a journey through very different artistic practices regarding generation and context, and in which the works are juxtaposed and linked through stories. Five exhibitions are proposed corresponding to five parts of the body, which will develop autonomously over the coming months, although there are numerous echoes and abundant dialogue between them. The display maintains the experimental character that characterizes the presentations in L21 by occupying uncommon locations.

In “Walking, running, falling” the starting point has been the foot, the basis for starting to walk then running and getting up again after the inevitable fall. Similarly, L21 Gallery has undergone similar processes in its own skin over the last ten years. Inevitably, every creative project, both artistic and gallery-related of course, grows through trial and error, nourishing itself on what it has learned and stretching its limits without fear of falling.

“The Body Artist”, a novel by Don DeLillo about time and the limits of the body, but also an effective metaphor for artistic creation, accompanies us on this journey, a continuous search, an endless flight from the known to the unknown to the next limit.

The lyrics of Iggy Pop’s song, “Sixteen”, articulate a process of coming and going, stopping to observe the past in order to continue towards the future with a firm step, walking, to then start running and know how to get up after falling. The North American musician in this song (although perhaps it is only our interpretation) returns to look at himself with tenderness and admiration, remembering the impetus of when he was sixteen years old and ready to eat the world. This same hunger that any gallery project needs to have and constantly renew in order to keep moving forward in an ever faster field, in an ever larger field, without forgetting the lessons of the past or the crazy energy of its beginning. This is also what this celebration is about.

Tell me, what can I do, Sweet Sixteen?
I give you my body and soul Sweet Sixteen
I must be hungry
‘Cause I go crazy
Over your leather boots
(Iggy Pop, Sixteen, en Lust for Life,1977)

Exhibition organised in collaboration with ADN Gallery, NoguerasBlanchard, Ethall, Estrany– de la Mota, Elba Benítez, Neugerriemschneider, PLUS-ONE Gallery.

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB.

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB. From right to left: Stevie Dix, Ian Waelder, Erika Hock

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22, Installation view at L21 LAB. From right to left: Erika Hock, Ian Waelder, Olivier Renevret

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB. From right to left: Olivier Renevret, Sinéad Spelman, Robert Fillou. Courtesy of ADN Collection and etHALL, Barcelona

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB. From right to left: Sharon Lockhart, Robert Fillou. Courtesy of ADN Collection and courtesy of Neugerriemschneider, Berlin

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB. From right to left: Marc Badia, Ignasi Aballí, Laurens Legiers. Courtesy of Elba Benítez

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB. From right to left: Marc Badia, Ignasi Aballí. Courtesy of Elba Benítez

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB. From right to left: Laurens Legiers, Gema Polanco, Marc Badia. Courtesy of PLUS-ONE Gallery

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB

IGNASI ABALLÍ, Coloración (Magenta), 2009, Acrylic and digital print on canvas, 150 x 150 cm; IGNASI ABALLÍ, Coloración (Ceniza), 2009, Acrylic and digital print on canvas, 150 x 150 cm, Courtesy of Elba Beníte

“Walking, Running, Falling”, 2021-22. Installation view at L21 LAB