Ten years after the designer died, and 40 years after he first came to Ibiza, there will be an exhibition of the works of Lluís Güell in San Antonio. This homage to a great artist fittingly takes place in the town for it is here that Güell's most famous designs, some would say masterpieces are located.
These days the likes of Es Paradís Terrenal, his first project on the island, and the Cafe del Mar, are household names and iconic venues forever associated with the Ibiza nightlife and sunset scene. Add others like the Summum disco – a kind of mini-me for Es Paradis - and the Restaurante Illa and Bar Project and you can see how important he is to the town of San Antonio where he lived for many years.
He was able to let his creativity run riot in the late 70's Cafe del Mar, with an extraordinary use of colour, shape and form to produce an interior which can only be described as Art Nouveau ice cream parlour on acid – what a shame everybody sits outside facing the other direction when they visit!
Not a native of Ibiza, he was born in Banyoles in Catalonia in 1945 and clearly must have been influenced by fellow Catalan avant gardistes Gaudi, Dali, Miro and the likes whose fame has spread world wide. It's difficult to tag Güell as belonging to any particular artistic discipline – he was an artist, painter, interior designer, photographer, architect and sculptor and was still creative up until his death in Begur in 2005.
The exhibition starts on 17th April in two venues in San Antonio; the Far des Coves Blanques, the former lighthouse on the promenade overlooking the ferry port close to the Cafe del Mar, and Sa Punta des Moli, the former windmill on the promenade which runs past Es Paradis. It's on until the 17th June and is open from Tuesday to Saturday 17:00 to 22:00 and promises to have a range of exhibits covering all aspects of Güell's career.
Best of all, it's FREE, why not pop in and have a look? For more information click here
