Tourist construction in the Balearic Islands (1939-2005). Architecture, urbanism and photography

Oral defense of the doctoral thesis. PhD in History, History of Art and Geography, Universitat de les Illes Balears, 6^th June 2019.

Tourist architecture has not been analysed from a historic and artistic perspective until recent times, despite the impact of tourism on contemporary society. Tourism has been the main economic resource in the Balearic Islands and buildings for leisure have caused a radical change in the archipelago’s morphology. Nevertheless, these architectures have been scarcely studied in the field of art history with the only exception of the works by Dr. Miguel Seguí.

In last years, I have been preparing my doctoral thesis on architecture and urbanism created for tourism purposes from 1939 to 2005. I have studied the buildings and the urban plans mainly, identified property developers, analysed legislation and have highlighted the most outstanding creations. Besides, I have examined the dissemination of the projects in photography considering commercial approaches, such as postcards, and professional perspectives, as the ones reflected in architectural press.

So, the thesis covers from the slow recovery of tourism after Spanish Civil War, when traditionalism was the main architectural style, to the very beginnings of 21^st century and the kitsch phenomena

+info: abstract in Teseo

+info: News on the oral defense on the website of the Universitat de les Illes Balears

Rul·lan and the hotel Bahía Palace in Palma. The diffusion channels of tourist architecture photography

Published paper. International Conference Inter= Photography and Architecture, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona. From 2nd to 4th Novembre, 2016.

During the earlier days of November, the Museum of the University of Navarra held the International Conference Inter=Photography and Architecture that reunited architects, artists and researchers.

My paper "Rul·lan and the hotel Bahía Palace of Palma. The diffusion channels of tourist architecture photography" was accepted for its publication in the proceedings book. In it, I analyse the series of photographs shot by Estudio Rul·lan (1918-1980) at the hotel Bahía Palace in the seaside promenade of Palma -preserved at the Arxiu del So i de la Imatge de Mallorca- and how they were spread through press and publicity.

The paper is included in the second volume of the proceedings (p.202-211) and can be read and downloaded in this link: Inter=photo arch. Interferences.

Made in Balears. International Photographers in the Islands

Castle of Bellver, Palma. From 16th April to 17th July 2016.

After visiting Barcelona and Paris, the exhibition Made in Balears. International Photographers in the Islands has arrived to the Castle of Bellver. The exhibition compiles photographs taken in the Balearics between the decades of 1910 and 1970 by artists coming from different countries and is the result of the I+D research project “La construcción de una imagen turística a través de la fotografía. El caso de Las Baleares (1930-1965)” (HAR2010-21691) lead by Maria-Josep Mulet.


   

Example of the installation of the panels



Public image of architecture and urbanism in the Balearic Islands (1939-2005)

Scientific poster, IV Jornadas Doctorales, Grupo 9 de Universidades, Pamplona. From 9th to 11th March, 2016.

The Universidad Pública de Navarra has been the place chosen for celebrating the IVJornadas Doctorales organized by the Grupo 9 de Universidades. Each one of the universities of the group selected two PhD students from the fields of Arts and Humanities, Sciences, Health Sciences, Social and Legal Sciences and Architecture and Engineering.

Exhibition of the posters

I have participate in the Arts and Humanities section, representing the University of the Balearic Islands, with the poster Public image of architecture and urbanism in the Balearic Islands (1939-2005), a summary of the PhD that I’m developing in the ArtDepartment of the UIB.

Poster made for the congress

Coming soon: “Made in Balears: International Photographers in the Islands”

Exhibition Centre d’Études Catalanes, Université Paris Sorbonne. From 4th November until 1st December.

The exhibition brings a selection of images taken by well-known international photographers who visited the Balearic Islands reflecting their landscapes and people, the arrival of tourism, etc.

After have been shown at the Centre d'Estudis i Documentació (MACBA) the 18th of October, it now arrives to the Centre d’Études Catalanes de París.

Don't miss it!

 

From souvenir to document. The postcard and the representation of the touristic architecture in Majorca.

Paper for the Jornadas Fadoc. I Congreso Internacional de Documentación Fotográfica, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. 2014.

The text studies the postcards published in Majorca from 1939 that show the buildings made for the tourists.

The paper can be downloaded here (p.625-637): Del artefacto mágico al pixel.

Architectonic and photographic creation of a leisure space on the sea. The Paseo Marítimo of Palma.

Publication and conference during the seminar Touristic Territories, University of Girona. From 23th to 25th January, 2014.

The complete text can be read here (vol.II, p.333): http://hdl.handle.net/10256/8798.