The Amatller Art Center approaches Sorolla with an intimate and immersive exhibition

The Centre d'Art Amatller presented this Wednesday the exhibition Sorolla, a new dimension, a tribute to the Valencian artist Joaquim Sorolla. Coinciding with the commemoration of the centenary of his death, the exhibition reviews the trajectory of one of the most celebrated turn-of-the-century painters worldwide based on a didactic and interactive museography with 360-degree immersive projections, virtual reality, digital installations, scenographies, and other technological resources. Sorolla, who created a large part of his work between Valencia, Madrid, and New York, did not have much presence in Catalonia. For this reason, one of the priorities of the exhibition is to make the artist known here with his usual beach paintings and with a prominent presence of the characteristic Mediterranean light.

After opening in Valencia, the initiative has opened its doors in Barcelona with the incorporation of a selection of original paintings that represent different creative stages of Sorolla and offer an intimate and personal reading of his work, according to the ACN. These are paintings with diverse themes from the Montserrat Museum, the Joan Abelló Museum in Mollet del Vallès, and four private collectors. They include two genre or costumbrista paintings, one historical painting, two portraits, and two studies of different characters.

Inside the Centre d'Art Amatller, visitors can discover what Sorolla's Valencia was like, understand the family context that shaped his personality, identify the artistic environment that allowed him to grow and distinguish himself as a creator, or his influences. Specifically, Sorolla's Valencia presents in the exhibition how Sorolla lived in a Valencia of changes and expansion, reforms and new constructions that would give a new air to the streets. Presided over by the alfuferenc, the lateen-rigged sailboat, this first exhibition room aims to place visitors in the environment that Sorolla envisioned "gazing at the limits of the orchard and the old city in the years of the turn of the century."

To immerse oneself in the artist's most intimate, familiar environment, the exhibition shows a table set for a meal linked to a family self-portrait made by Antonio García Perís, his father-in-law and a prominent photographer of the time. In addition to the passion for family, this area also talks about his wife Clotilde. On the other hand, in the Artistic Environment, there is a review of European and American artists to learn about the most influential names in Sorolla's life, such as Blasco Ibáñez and Mariano Benlliure. At a time when Spain was suffering the consequences of the loss of the colonies of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, a tragic vision reigned, which was portrayed by the Generation of '98. In Valencia, however, a more optimistic spirit was born, which can be seen portrayed by the great Valencian artists of the late 19th century. This space features a scale replica of the iconic fountain in Valencia's Plaza Redonda.

In addition to the room with original works, one of the most anticipated moments of the exhibition is the immersive experience. In a large room, a magical journey is presented where paintings come to life. This part of the exhibition projects a 21-minute 360° film made from images of Sorolla's paintings and other artistic and documentary supports, as well as motion graphics, 2D and 3D animations, digital effects, and other generative techniques. In another room, the most daring can also enter his works through virtual reality. With more than 30 virtual reality glasses, the identifying elements of the artist's poetics become tangible and close.