Sant Francesc Hotel and Galería Pelaires Present Guillem Nadal at Nit de l'Art
This collaboration, which coincides with the hotel's tenth anniversary, marks its seventh consecutive participation in the prestigious cultural event organized by Art Palma Contemporani.
Galería Pelaires and Sant Francesc Hotel once again join forces with Art Palma Contemporani for Nit de l'Art 2025, presenting the installation Guillem Nadal. Illes perdudes, a selection of works from the artist's series Projecte per a una illa. The exhibition, coinciding with the hotel's tenth anniversary, will open on September 20, in line with Nit de l'Art, and will remain on view until the end of October.
The selected works will interact with various spaces in the 19th-century neoclassical mansion that houses the hotel, which already permanently displays a work by the Mallorcan artist. Alongside the pictorial series, the Mallorcan Courtyard will host Illes, a large-scale sculpture made of olive wood.
As explained by Galería Pelaires, all the works belonging to this series form a whole, even if each also has its own "individual life," like islands. "They thus take on the figure of a vast archipelago. Much like the pages of a book that can make sense on their own, but ultimately require the complete set to be fully understood."
An artist who inhabits his works
The works from Guillem Nadal's Projecte per a una illa series stand out for their powerful gesturality, shaped by the artist's distinctive creative process. "Nadal works with his hands, plowing the canvas, carving furrows and textures; literally immersing himself in the work," note the gallerists. The result is a play of light and shadow that not only invites viewers to look at the works from different perspectives, but also provokes an irresistible urge to touch them.
Nadal's characteristic monochromatic palette -traditionally limited to black, white, and gray- is here disrupted by the introduction of purple hues, which the artist considers part of a process of "sedimentation," the role of chance within the creation of the painting.
Nadal moves within the language of abstraction, creating curved forms that carry the underlying idea of the island. The illa in this series does not refer to Mallorca itself but rather to deeper meanings, evoking the landscapes of the mind. "It is, in any case, a connection that is strange and familiar at the same time, whose tension advances toward the closure of a definitive circle. Like the metaphor of a life cycle, equally tied to the life of the island and that of the artist," explains Pelaires.
The installation Guillem Nadal. Illes perdudes not only commemorates a decade of Sant Francesc Hotel but also reaffirms its commitment to contemporary art. As highlighted by Miguel Feliz, the hotel's General Manager, "This seventh participation in Nit de l'Art is a truly remarkable milestone. The work of Guillem Nadal, which captures the essence of our island, is the perfect way to celebrate this anniversary and open our doors to all art lovers."
The works will be on view on September 20 from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. at Sant Francesc Hotel, as part of the 29th edition of Nit de l'Art, the annual event organized by the association of gallerists Art Palma Contemporani. From Saturday, September 20 onwards, the installation will remain open daily from 12:00 to 6:30 p.m. for several weeks.
About Guillem Nadal
Guillem Nadal (Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, Mallorca, 1957) has developed his career across painting, sculpture, and installation, consolidating a body of work deeply rooted in the notions of landscape, memory, and insularity -understood as a metaphor for the inner journey. Through gestural textures that evoke cartographic maps traced by furrows and sedimentary layers, Nadal creates "mental islands."
Over the course of his career, Nadal has shifted from figurative language toward a material and sensorial abstraction, characterized by the use of ash, salt, wood, natural elements (branches), and plaster. These materials challenge the dichotomy between painting and object. In his practice, the Balearic landscape -and, by extension, nature- acts as a central and transformative force. The passage of time, erosion, and memory form the poetic core of his artistic production.
Initially trained in Palma, Nadal furthered his studies in Barcelona and later in Paris, where he came into contact with contemporary schools of thought that shaped his conceptual and formal development. He has exhibited in national and international institutions and galleries, and his works are included in prominent public and private collections.
About Sant Francesc Hotel
Sant Francesc Hotel Singular Palma is a five-star hotel housed in a 19th-century neoclassical mansion in the heart of Palma's old town. Since its inception, the hotel has shown a strong commitment to contemporary art, as evidenced by works from Guillem Nadal, Jaume Roig, Riera i Aragó, Dominica Sánchez, and Jordi Alcaraz, among others, that inhabit its various spaces.
Every corner -from the suites to the common areas- becomes a gallery where the history of architecture merges with contemporary art, offering guests a unique experience and creating an atmosphere in which past and present coexist in perfect harmony.
About Nit de l'Art
Nit de l'Art in Palma is a unique cultural event and a pioneer in Spain, considered the unmissable occasion that launches the exhibition season in Mallorca. Since 1997, this magical night has transformed the center of Palma into a vibrant artistic circuit, attracting both art lovers and professionals from the sector.
The event is organized by Art Palma Contemporani, the association of contemporary art galleries of the Balearic Islands, which since its founding in 2004 has worked to enrich the island's cultural life and bring citizens closer to new artistic languages and emerging creators. Currently, Art Palma Contemporani is composed of ABA ART, BARÓ, CCA Andratx, Galería Fermay, Hauser & Wirth Menorca, LA BIBI + REUS, KEWENIG, Florit / Florit, 6a Taller i Galeria, Galería Maior, Galería Pelaires, Pep Llabrés Art Contemporani, Tube Gallery, and Galería Xavier Fiol.
