José Val del Omar. ‘Beyond the Visual Realm’
— An Encounter Between Bionic Optics, Extreme Collecting And A Unique Scent
14 — 24 November 2023
Más allá de lo visual (Beyond the Visual Realm) is an exhibition curated by the Ernesto Ventós Foundation, which offers a convergence of three prominent figures from the world of art and collecting: Frederic Marès, José Val del Omar, and Ernesto Ventós.
Frederic Marès offers us a continent brimming with social and historical significance. Our journey takes us to the Entertainment Hall within the Frederic Marès Museum, where we witness how the scientific and technological breakthroughs of the 19th century reached the masses through leisure and entertainment. Innovation defines the objects in this hall, particularly evident in optical toys like the magic lantern, the polyorama panoptique, and the zoetrope.
Within this Hall, we showcase Óptica Biónica (Bionic Optics) (1974-1982), an installation created by Val del Omar based on one of his experimental techniques: the cyclo-tactile energetic bionic optics. Through this technique, the filmmaker aims to place the image in an unfamiliar and analytical position, harnessing the innate phenomena of human vision to formulate concepts that bridge aesthetics and technology. The artwork is positioned near optical toys, to which it is formally and symbolically connected, creating a dialogue between playfulness and experimentation. These toys embody the author’s most primal calling, as he ingeniously created projections and magic lanterns during his childhood.
Óptica Biónica is a part of the olorVISUAL collection curated by Ernesto Ventós from a singular and exceptional perspective. Ventós championed the idea that art ought to transcend the visual realm and assembled a collection based on the sense of smell. The pieces he procures are not selected for their aesthetics, but for the olfactory memories they evoke in his mind. Continuing his legacy, Óptica Biónicais paired with a distinctly special aromatic essence, blending thyme, chamomile, tea, bay leaf, marjoram, and coriander.