The threat of climate collapse and the desire to combat it by reclaiming nature, feminism, the need for a new spirituality and searching archives are interests that are very present in current artistic practices. Together, they are found in that of Rosa Tharrats (Barcelona, ??1983), who explores them from expressive languages ??as diverse as design, cinema, fashion and sculpture. This is because she is convinced of the existence of an enormous network of interconnections: “I have worked in many disciplines because I believe that my intuitions expand to many places… It opens perspectives and places you in a state of learning, of discovery.”
The reflective and spiritual look predominates in his proposal. This is demonstrated in Bombon Projects, in – in his own words – “a textile and sculptural installation that expands in space”, where the life of the fabric is expressed in parallel to the activity of fungal structures. As the closing of the exhibition, on May 4, he will cover the façade of the gallery with a large tapestry, as he did on the opening day.
Granddaughter of the artist Joan Josep Tharrats and daughter of a publisher and bookseller, she grew up in “a family environment where freedom of thought was breathed”, in a house where “there were always magazines, books and materials that, from a very young age, she played at painting, cut out, paste.” Thus, the family archive is a powerful source for the production of her work. Her grandfather’s vocation for graphics and her collections also contributed to her attraction to the visual arts. She studied Graphic Design at Elisava and Fashion Design at the European Institute of Design in Barcelona. She even had her own clothing brand, which she maintained for a few years with a friend of hers. She lived for a while in Berlin, until moving to Cadaqués, to her grandfather’s workshop, which she replaced with her current studio in the Empordà.
The fabrics with which he composes his works come from an enormous archive “that I am building with different types of materials. There are pieces that are part of my closet, donations, gifts from friends, pieces found on the street years ago and that suddenly reappear and take on a new meaning because they remind me of a story. Others are bought in special places, in markets, on trips…”
It is their way of combating concepts such as fast fashion: “The very word ‘fashion’ is already suspect. What does it mean that something is fashionable? Everything goes through long cycles, processes that come from afar, and that continue or stagnate, that are revived or remain latent… And then they reappear.” An attitude that he considers directly related to feminism, alluding to Donna Haraway.
As a costume designer she has received the Gaudí award for her participation in the films Història de la meva mort and Liberté, both by Albert Serra. In cinema he has also made his own projects, such as the short film Els miracles del Mestre Cabestany, together with the writer, poet and translator Gabriel Ventura, “with whom I work and share a vision of art and life, and with whom I live daily. ”, and is preparing a short opera – a collaboration between the Liceo, the Macba and the CCCB for 2025 – and a project for Manifesta, the nomadic European biennial that arrives in Barcelona in 2024.
He feels at a good moment in his career. In recent years he has exhibited at institutions such as Macba and TAB21 in Córdoba; as well as galleries in Cadaqués, Barcelona and Madrid. In the coming months, his name will continue to be heard due to his participation in festivals and group exhibitions.
Rosa Tharrats Refuge Bombon Projects Barcelona www.bombonprojects.com. Until May 4th
