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

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



Tourism in the Balearic and Pityusic Islands. A brief graphic history

Exhibition, Faculty of Tourism, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma. From 30th October 2015 to 11th January 2016.

The members of the Photographic Observatory of the Landscape of the Balearic Islands, a project that comes from the research group Audiovisual Heritage, Mass-media and illustration, have curated and prepared the exhibition Tourism in the Balearic and Pityusic Islands. A brief graphic history.

Flex

Contest for designing an exhibition space at the building of Sa Riera, Palma. 2014, University of the Balearic Islands.

Panel made for the contest

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!

 

Made in Balears. International Photographers on the Islands

Exhibition at the Centre d’Estudis i Documentació of the MACBA, Barcelona. 18th October, 2013.

·Content

Last 18^th October, a selection of images of the Balearic Islands taken by international photographers that visited the Islands between 1913 and 1972. During 2014, the exhibition will be shown also in Paris and Perpignan.

 

The selection is the result of a work developed by the research group  “Audiovisual Heritage, mass-media andillustration” of the University of the Balearic Islands, with the support of the project “The construction of a touristic image through photography. The case of the Balearics (1930-1965)” (HAR2010-21691). The responsibles of the scientific research were Maria-Josep Mulet Gutiérrez and Catalina Aguiló Ribas (University of the Balearic Islands), Xavier Rossell (Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, MACBA) y Jacques Terrassa (Université de la Sorbonne, Paris IV, Francia).

 

The photographs were digital printings on cardboard, 60x75 cm., with a graphic design of MontMarsà.

 

Two views of the exhibition. Photographs by Xavi Rossell

 

· Space

 

The place dedicated to the exhibition was the hall of the Centre d’Estudis i Documentaciódel Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA). The rectangular shape of the floor permitted to plan a clear path. In front of this facility, there were three requirements: the panels shouldn’t hang the panels on the walls, the materials shouldn’t be expensive and the exhibition should be easy to transport.  
So, I designed an auxiliary structure for each one of the panels. They lean on the walls without damaging them. They were made of wood and the cardboard panel hang from them as it would hang from a wall.

Detail of the structure

The lightness of the structure made the transport very easy. 
 

Opening soon: "Made in Balears. International Photographers on the Islands"

Centre d’Estudis i Documentació MACBA, Barcelona. 18th October, 2013.

Next 18th October, the results of the research project "The construction of a touristic image through photography. The case of the Balearics" (I+D+i: HAR2010-21691), will be showed under the shape of a selection of photographies. The work has been done by the research group “Patrimonio audiovisual, mass-media e ilustración” from the University of the Balearic Islands.
 

Landscape Photographic Observatory of the Balearic Islands

The web-site of the Landscape PhotographicObservatory of the Balearic Islands is open. The project is administrated by the research group on Audiovisual Heritage, Mass-media and Illustration from the Balearic Islands University.

www.observatorifotograficbalears.com

The web-site is a compilation of information about the evolution of the Balearic landscape especially through photographs, but also through drawings. At the same time, it wants to give information about photographic and audio-visual archives and show the relationship between all this material and the development of the tourism.

Tutorial. How to make an academic poster?

Publication. 2011, Universitat de les Illes Balears.

This tutorial is the result of the collaboration with the teacher Isabel Escandell. It has been done to help students of second year of History of Art degree in the making of an academic poster.

The aim is to give basic instructions for creating academia posters from first steps like size and color, to the end with the print process. It also includes a few designing examples for posters.