Lluís Hortalà

Lluís Hortalà (Spain, b. 1959) is a self-taught artist who studied at the Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts in Barcelona and later at the Van der Kelen-Logelain School in Brussels. His practice encompasses sculpture and large-format drawing, addressing themes related to architecture, bodily structures, visual topographies, mountaineering, and mountains.

His artistic practice reflects on the parallel between climbing and the contemplative inner journey as a metaphor for personal growth, while also critiquing the role of nineteenth-century museums. His style is grounded in the use of trompe-l’œil, applied to wall-mounted sculptures made of polyester-coated wood and objects that create the illusion of volume.

His solo exhibitions include Opac at Fundación ”la Caixa”’s Espai Montcada (1991), Las Tentaciones at the Museu de Montserrat (2015), and Guillotina at Tecla Sala (2019). He has also participated in group exhibitions at venues including the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Arts Santa Mònica, the Chapel of the Royal Hospital of Granada, and the Walter Benjamin Centre for Contemporary Art. His work is held in collections including those of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, MACBA, the Fundación ”la Caixa” Collection, ARTIUM, the Marcelino Botín Foundation, the Trust Foundation, the AIP Collection, the Banco Sabadell Collection, the Fundació Vila Casas Collection, and the Norman Foster Collection. Leer menos