A landmark exhibition in Gibraltar features 100 works of art by 40 members of The Arborealists. Due to remain open until Saturday 13 March – subject to current mobility restrictions and how the pandemic evolves – “Being with Trees” has been organised by Gibraltar Cultural Services on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and features artists from the Lloyds Art Group of London.
The aim of the exhibition is to provide a contemporary response to trees by artists who live in urban and rural environments, highlighting their “shared love of trees and the vital role they can play in our lives in terms of our well-being, identity and sociability, and our understanding of ecology and climatic change”.
The painters and printmakers are associated with several contemporary organisations including Lloyds Art Group, a collective of artists who work in Lloyds of London or the London insurance market, and are mostly but not exclusively from London and the Home Counties.
In addition to The Arborealists, the exhibition features work by the Urban Contemporaries, a fluid group of figurative painters – from England, Wales, Ireland and France – who “explore different approaches to the concept of contemporary communities in urban environments”.
They express themselves in many varied mediums and styles, covering such themes and issues as street architecture, urban decoration, ecological beneficence, wildlife habitat, the mythical, the allegorical, the symbolic, and our psychological equilibrium and well-being.
Officially presenting the exhibition, minister for culture Dr John Cortes said, “On this occasion, we are delighted to have been able to give this landmark exhibition an international edge by inviting world-renowned artists from London and other cities to visit Gibraltar.
“Working with Lloyds Group of London has allowed Gibraltarian artists to exhibit their work at the heart of the UK capital for many years. It was appropriate as part of our partnership with Philippa Beale and her team to extend an invitation to the Lloyds Group to exhibit in Gibraltar. I am delighted to welcome them to the Rock with an exhibition that showcases a contemporary response to trees in urban and rural environments.
“The fusion of trees and art is fascinating, and so logical. Both have a vital part to play in our well-being and in our character as a community.”
The exhibition is being held at the Gustavo Bacarisas Gallery, although the arrangements are subject to change depending on the coronavirus situation.
UNESCO World Heritage Site in Gibraltar home to world’s largest known roost of crag martins.