IMPLOSIÓ. Carte blanche a CòmicNostrum

Museums have been traditionally reluctant to accept the comic genre as art until pop culture paved the way for its doors to open up and this medium be reassessed from an artistic point of view. However, both museums and art galleries have so far just confined themselves to exhibit original plates (or reproductions), in which the viewer can only appreciate the quality of the drawing, but cannot follow through the development of the comic strip. What he or she receives is partial and incomplete information bearing no relation with the experience of “reading” a work of this genre.

The first great museum that understood this was The Museum of Modern Art in New York when in 2002 it exhibited “Projects 75”, by the American artist Laylah Ali. On the second floor of the museum, inside a glass cabinet a comic book was on display, which the artist had drawn for the museum. Those who wished to could purchase a copy at the museum shop for 2 dollars.

The exhibition that has now been staged at Es Baluard Museu gives a new twist on how comics are brought into a museum. This is a proposal made by Clúster de Còmic i Nous Media de Mallorca, curated by Juan Roig and Sònia Delgado with the collaboration of the director of the venue, Nekane Aramburu, who has given “carte blanche” to the professional comic artists of the Balearic Islands to take part through the comic language in “Implosió” (Implosion), the Es Baluard Museu Permanent Collection. This is a scheme in which Ata, Jaume Balaguer, Canizales, Paco Díaz, Àlex Fito, Pere Joan, Guillem March, Max, Pau, Bartolomé Seguí and Rafel Vaquer, dialogue with the museological discourse and the works of the museum collection in order to bring open interpretations into existence that lead to new readings and make it possible to engage in witty conversations.

Download the exhibition brochure