The artist Damià Díaz talked with the gallerist Jaime Pérez Zaragozí about their first exhibition together at Parking Gallery, “The Space Between Words”. Sitting by the sea, they exchange questions and answers, views and reflections on art and personal experiences. They listen and open up to each other and, above all else, respect each other.

It fascinates me to see how your drawings become sculptures and how your sculptures, in turn, inspire your graphic output. I have to admit that ever since your first exhibitions, I was always surprised by the quality of the production of your works in someone as young as you were at the time. What importance do you lend to materials when it comes to creating?

For me, the importance of the support is crucial in the development of a work.

I have experimented a lot, I have produced works which were too expensive to produce, I have made mistakes, I have had to make corrections but I can’t help but feeling attracted to new materials and getting excited about the potential results I could achieve with them. This need to constantly innovate has always been part and parcel of the human experience. It has been like a string of reflex actions that, without realising it, have led me from one discipline to another.

On the other hand, I want to thank you for placing your trust in a new project like Parking Gallery. We already had a good artist-client relationship, but when we decided to become a more active agent and open a gallery, I have to say that we were delighted to be able to work with you. What aspects do you bear in mind when choosing an exhibition space?

My projects are always conditioned by the exhibition space and are always conceived in situ. If the architecture of the hall is special, if it poses a challenge, then that motivates me when it comes to selecting works and giving shape to the show. I sometimes think that it would be easier to always work in a “white cube” but I believe that artists are also to some extent architects of an ephemeral society where everything is ultimately transformed and so I am always inspired by the challenge of adapting my pieces to a new environment. (…)

Albir beach

20 August 2012