What is “Basajaun. Entre fibras”?
The exhibition “Basajaun. Entre fibras” can be seen at the Ca n’Ángel hall in des Mercadal until noon on Monday, the 29th. It brings together the textile work of Anara Ardanaz and the floral creations of Alai Zimmermann. The two Menorcan artists describe the show as a sensitive conversation between animal and plant fibers, where wool mixes with natural elements taken straight from the environment.
The Artists Behind the Show
Anara Ardanaz – Textile Creator
Anara works mainly with wool, using it as a warm, flexible material that carries centuries of tradition. She shapes it through weaving, twisting and overlapping, letting each piece keep the memory of the gesture that made it.
Alai Zimmermann – Floral Artist
Alai brings branches, seeds, leaves and other organic forms into the artwork. Her floral art adds color, texture and a direct link to the island’s landscape.
How the Exhibition Works
A Dialogue Between Fibers
The show invites visitors to walk through a space where the materials themselves speak. Each work preserves traces of the making process, the surrounding landscape and the natural cycles that produced the raw materials.
Materials and Their Stories
Wool meets plant fibers, creating pieces that sit somewhere between sculpture and textile. Some feel fragile, others feel strong, showing how the same source can express many moods.
Techniques Used
Traditional Meets Experimental
The artists combine old‑handed methods with new approaches. This mix gives each technique its own rhythm and lets the material change while staying true to its origin.
Spinning, Felting, Basketry, Braiding, Floral Art
Spinning turns raw wool into thread. Felting mats the fibers together. Basketry and braiding build structure. Floral art adds the final natural touch. Together they create a layered, tactile experience.
The “Where the Basajaun Lives” Project
Mythology Meets Modern Art
The exhibition is part of a larger project called “Where the Basajaun lives.” Basajaun is a figure from Basque mythology – the lord of the forest, protector of animals and keeper of forgotten knowledge. He stands between the human world and the wild.
Questions the Work Raises
By invoking Basajaun, Ardanaz and Zimmermann ask what remains sacred in our relationship with the earth. They wonder which silenced voices still echo among the trees and how we can listen to them today.
Personal Roots and Island Inspiration
Basque Heritage, Menorcan Upbringing
Both artists were born and raised in Menorca but trace their roots to the Basque Country. This double identity fuels the show, turning it into a dialogue about memory, territory and personal identity.
Conclusion
“Basajaun. Entre fibras” offers a chance to see how natural materials to tell their own stories. Through weaving, felting and floral art, Anara Ardanaz and Alai Zimmermann show how tradition and experimentation can coexist. The exhibition encourages teens and adults alike to think about where our clothes, our art and our environment come from – and how we might protect the living world that gives us those fibers.
Source
Images Credit: www.menorca.info