Capses secretes 

Editor: So, here we have Joan Ponç’s "Capses secretes," done with ink and coloured pencils. It feels like looking into a strange, surreal world…a little unsettling, a little humorous. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, Ponç! He invites us down a rabbit hole, doesn't he? The piece buzzes with hidden energy, secret boxes as the title suggests. For me, it's like a fragmented dream, the creature assembled from biological and mechanical scraps. Its gaze seems to question us, what are we hiding? What secrets do we keep locked away? What secrets do you see? Editor: I see almost like a connection between the figure, this sun and bird character, but with the horizontal line between them like some kind of obstacle. Curator: An obstacle or maybe a lifeline! That little bird dances on that very precarious vine that links the entities. Is it symbiotic, parasitic? I lean toward connection myself. Ponç, being steeped in the surrealist mindset, wasn't afraid to blend the beautiful and the grotesque, which feels so incredibly relevant today. You'll find many biomorphic, abstract figuration that will probably recall someone like Miro, you find? Editor: Yes, that makes a lot of sense now! There's a familiarity to it, now that you mention it. Curator: And it's important to remember, Ponç and others, like Antoni Tàpies, sought to challenge the status quo after the Spanish Civil War. So even those so called grotesque figures of his also reflected and carried a weight to a society in dismay. Does that thought transform your understanding of this artwork, its meaning? Editor: It really does, this isn't just some fantasy landscape; there's commentary about reality and trauma! I now understand it on another dimension, thanks! Curator: Exactly! And that’s what makes art so exciting; layers of meaning waiting to be discovered. This artwork now challenges me too, I need to dig deep within myself and see the "secret boxes" it wants to reveal within me.