Ibiza Basel: Meet the changemakers shaping the design world from their island base
L’OFFICIEL IBIZA encounters four trailblazers who boldly expand the horizons of their craft, fostering the exploration of artistic and cultural frontiers.
Ibiza has long encapsulated a distinct philosophy, fusing the ancient with the avant-garde. In stark contrast to more urban settings where group decision-making can stifle creativity and individual response, the island has evolved into a sanctuary and incubator for singular creatives and artists. In Ibiza, a distinct fusion of cultural diversity and artistic liberation is reshaping lifestyles and redefining the very essence of creating and consuming art.
Alex Flick started his journey in the studio of Paul McCarthy, the American contemporary artist whose work spans performance, sculpture, and film. At just 18, it was a transformative experience for him, shattering his preconceptions about creativity and expanding his understanding of art in ways that encompassed thinking, creating, and experiencing. Flick recalls, ‘Paul, in my view, remains one of the most expansive and eloquent voices of Western (particularly American) art and society. His unique visual language spans painting, sculpture, film, poetry, action, and happenings, captivating with allure and at times jolting with ferocity—an embodiment of nearly everything I consider as Fine Art.’ This experience set Flick on a path that eventually led him to his current role as a gallerist, deeply rooted in the pursuit of art that transcends traditional confines.
Sharing his time between London and Ibiza, he confesses Ibiza has a symbolic impact in his practice. At his London gallery, Gathering, artworks go beyond traditional wall placements and adopt a multifaceted approach, showcasing a wide spectrum of exhibitions and shining a spotlight on both contemporary and historical artists. Flick’s primary focus lies in promoting innovative practices and immersive installations that challenge various facets of our contemporary world, whether social, artistic, economic, technological or post-digital.
Alongside its main programming but also intuitively guided to build around community and learning, in 2024 the gallery will launch GatheringLearning: a response to the wealth of talent, expertise, and experience within their team and broader network, as they feel a profound yearning and responsibility to share this knowledge.
Flick notes that ‘this approach firmly roots us in the places where we operate. We are dedicated to honoring local traditions and engaging with the people who call these places home. In Ibiza, where the connection between Ibicenco tradition and the global community holds special significance, we are committed to bridging these worlds through our projects and vision.’
For over fifteen years, Ricardo Mirat has been at the forefront of artistic communities. The founder and director of Mirat Gallery, a contemporary art space situated in Madrid, he has curated several acclaimed international exhibitions. However, envisioning a new paradigm through the pandemic necessitated the creation of a fresh narrative. He relocated to Ibiza three years ago, deliberately embracing a decentralized transcultural approach.
This vision, harmonizing with the island, aims to attract artists and gallery owners from across the globe to shape a foundation focused on producing artworks, specific installations, and exhibitions that transcend the commercial framework.
Atemporal, the new venture he created in 2020 in collaboration with partner Tiago Feijoo Pinto, is now making waves on the international scene as one of the strengths of his business model relies on the idea of international collaborations in a setting that changes periodically — just as temporary exhibitions do.
At the moment, as an art advisor, he guides private clients and institutions in their art ventures or collections, through the international market. Aiming to collaborate with different brands and galleries in 2024, Ibizan collaborators are also part of the success formula of the experience he aims to create, connecting his guests to an art and emotional response in an environment long associated with freedom of expression.
Painter William Mackinnon shares his time between Ibiza, the UK and Australia. In his landscape paintings, he brings forth the world he occupies with a blend of exuberance, wonder and subtle hints of unease. Mackinnon's artistic vision not only captures the expansiveness of his surroundings but also delves into the emotional landscape. His artworks teem with movement and shifts, showcasing a striking blend of painterly innovation and daring compositions. Through his work, Mackinnon encourages the idea that the extraordinary can be found within the ordinary.
He describes his creative process as a way of thinking. It is about trusting the process of painting to shed light upon hidden parts of the mond, only accesed throught the creative process.
Mackinnon works in the solitude of the pines and wishes to communicate visually to his audience with images as ‘the most innovative way to connect the very solitary and mysterious process that is creativity’. The painter lives in Ibiza in the off season where his approach revolves around crafting expansive, dynamic paintings that capture the essence of how it feels to live in the world, blending potency with playfulness and referring to them as ‘psychological landscapes’.
‘After 25 years of building a career, I want to make spellbinding paintings that stop you in your tracks and engage you emotionally and visually and intellectually, he shares. The island's vibrant colours, unique light and diverse ecosystems have this draw, honoring metaphysical ideas and sensibilities.
Born and educated in Brussels, Bruno Erpicum initially studied architecture in his hometown before further honing his craft abroad. His passion for designing contemporary architectural buildings led him to establish his practice, primarily focused on private residential architecture.
Subsequently, his attention shifted to the realm of materials, recognizing that certain buildings may lose their allure over time. However, by employing raw and unaltered materials, the aging process transforms into a beautiful patina that enhances a building's value. Erpicum's practice consciously selects materials that require no finishing, allowing their inherent imperfections to evolve into engaging features.
Architects, often seen as aspiring painters or poets, create not just living spaces but visions of the world. Erpicum finds inspiration within the unique environments he’s developing, particularly in Ibiza. ‘The building embraces the environment and accepts its changes. It's so important to respect the context of structure within the space.’ Erpicum’s most sumptuous projects have been created here on the island, where the architect goes beyond conventions to infuse his creations with uninhibited, tempestuous chaos, capturing the beauty of nature in his designs.
