The exhibition "Mar de Terra/Terra de Mar" by Joan Mateu, on display at the Casa de Cultura les Bernardes in Salt until July 31st, explores the intensity of the Empordà coastline through ceramics. After twenty-five years of experimenting with painting, the artist has found a new medium in this material to capture the "essences" of the sea, which he considers "unpaintable".
The exhibition includes a hundred ceramic works, the result of two years of experimentation with clay, accompanied by some pictorial pieces with a maritime theme. The ceramic pieces depict marine animals, fishing objects, Mediterranean vegetation, rocks, reeds, and sunflowers, inspired by memory and an intuitive understanding of the liquid landscape.
“"Ceramics manage to capture and solidify essences that painting is incapable of reproducing."
The exhibition, curated by Carme Simon, unfolds across several rooms. The first houses pictorial works showcasing the "limit" Mateu has reached in representing the sea, including variations of maritime states and nautical chart simulations. Following this, coastal elements such as blankets, sunflowers, and vegetal motifs are presented, accompanied by a documentary on the artist's learning process with ceramics.
A subsequent space features ceramic figures evoking the sea's power, from calm to violent states, with elements like plates deformed by waves or broken objects. On the upper floor, ceramics address inland landscapes, cultivated fields, and reeds, reflecting how water transforms and projects onto the territory, creating a presence that permeates the landscape.
“"Behind all of this there is despair and euphoria, and you have to master all the feelings until the results emerge, which compensate for the work."
Mateu emphasizes the importance of "letting oneself go and accepting errors and risks" when working with clay, as this is where the "interesting things" happen. The exhibition, which began as a "intuition" by the curator, aims to take the sea beyond its pictorial representation, with a journey that invites visitors to create their own sea and landscape.
The exhibition is part of a larger display dedicated to water at the Casa de les Bernardes, which includes parallel activities such as a conference by biologist Pol Capdevila on marine populations and changes, and guided tours with the artist and curator.
