Antoni Areny

ANTONI ARENY (Barcelona, 1974)
"Air bull".
Steel.
Certificate of authenticity attached.
Measurements: 170 x 100 x 57 cm. Weight: 16 kg.

It is part of a sculptural collection, in the form of the 4 elements of nature. It is based on the Greek myth of "The Rape of Europe", which gave rise to the name given to the European continent. In this myth, Zeus, the main god of Olympus, transforms himself into a beautiful bull to seduce and kidnap the Phoenician princess Europa.
The main inspiration for creating this work came from the pandemic and confinement. However, a work of art has almost as many interpretations as people look at it, and there are many who see it as the symbol of prosperity, because the bull in finance represents optimism and growth, and the statute on Wall Street represents the same.

Antoni Areny studied at the Massana art school in Barcelona. He is a sculptor and painter who has worked mainly in marble, although he expresses himself in any material, always looking for the one that best suits what he wants to express. The conceptual nexus in all his work could be defined as a global environmentalism, as it is based on the will and desire to preserve the diversity of the planet, whether animal, vegetable or linguistic and cultural, because diversity is richness, nuances, and homogenization impoverishment.

Sculptor, painter, writer and video artist. He has held multiple exhibitions in art galleries, museums, cultural spaces, as well as street actions. Exhibitions, often linked to poetry festivals, as a result of the linguistic and symbolic load very present in his work. Escola Massana, Barcelona. Graduated in Business Administration from the University of Barcelona (UB). University of La Verne (California, USA).

As a sculptor, he works with the material that best allows him to express what he wants to transmit: marble, wood, steel, resin, silicone... Also in painting he works with multiple techniques, from oil painting and other brush techniques to airbrushing. As for the format of the work, he has made large outdoor sculptural works and, mostly, works for interior spaces. A constant theme in his work is the popular roots, based on language, gastronomy or traditions, looking for a constant game with the viewer. Other themes of his new artistic creations are European mythology, anthropocentrism and the role of the human being in a global world with finite natural resources.

As a writer he has published the book "De la matèria i la paraula", published by La Garúa libros-Tanit. Artistic project with the 24 most outstanding contemporary Catalan poets.

As a video artist his creations stand out: "Trobadors del XXI" [Troubadours of the XXI] https://vimeo.com/318807173 "L'exposició confinada 2020" [The confined exhibition 2020] -Selected by the Xarxa Audiovisual Local (Local Audiovisual Network) to be broadcasted in 2021 in the program with the title "impossible season".

Recent exhibitions:Lux Contemporary art gallery, New York. Summer 2024. Festiarte Marbella, from 3 to 6 August 2023.Galeria Artara, Maó. Menorca. Summer 2023. "The Flat" Gallery, Maó. Menorca. Summer 2023.Fira BNEW del Consorci de la Zona Franca, Barcelona from 3 to 6 October 2022. BADA Contemporary Art Fair (Madrid, Casa de Campo), May 5 to 8, 2022. Las Ventas (Plaza de Toros, Madrid), May 9 to 13, 2022.