Landscape with Figures

Artists of the Empordà III

This is the third exhibition dedicated to identifying and showcasing the artists who live and work in the Empordà region, curated by Toni Àlvarez de Arana. After three years of work and over seventy studio visits, this collective exhibition gives shape to a living, open artistic map. It features forty works that reflect the diversity of styles, techniques, and perspectives in a region with an exceptional creative density. The project aims to highlight the artistic heritage of the Empordà and to consolidate a connected and recognized artistic community.

Landscape with Figures (Artists of the Empordà III)

At the outset of this text, I would like to dedicate my first words to two key figures in our recent art history. The first is Maria Lluïsa Borràs, a highly influential art critic and writer. She was the first to begin mapping the artists of the Empordà—a project left unfinished when she passed away in 2010, in Palafrugell. The second is Àlex Susanna, a writer and cultural manager who passed away on July 27, 2024. He was instrumental in launching this project aimed at strengthening the region through the artists who live in it. As a small tribute and token of gratitude, this exhibition bears the title of one of his last books: Landscape with Figures—a fitting description of this special corner of the world we call home.

Saying that the Empordà is a land of artists is something often heard—and it is undoubtedly true. What is also true is that no one knows exactly how many visual artists live here, not even approximately. But this is changing.
After this most recent exhibition, we can now confidently state that around 200 visual artists live and work in the Empordà. Our map includes more than 100 artists already exhibited, and over forty more identified and awaiting visits or future exhibitions. And we can assert that there are still many more names to be added, especially in areas like Cadaqués—the most well-known example—yet to be fully explored. The exact number remains unknown, but we now have a foundation to begin building upon a cultural heritage that sets us apart from other regions—a real and living reality that should allow the visual arts to be recognized as one of the defining features of the Empordà.

Placing all these names on the map is only the first step in what promises to be a transformative project—one that will give our artists greater visibility and offer a new perspective on our region. At the same time, it will encourage a more respectful and less seasonal kind of visitor. It’s a step forward that simply reveals what has long been here: a landscape filled with artistic figures.