Sa Il•lustrada (Detail). Carrer d’Anuncivay 22, Mahón, Menorca, Spain.

The Santa Clara Project and Apsara Studio are thrilled to share the launch of ‘marés’, an annual site-responsive ‘Open Studio’ moment, which for its inaugural year, brings to Sa Il•lustrada – a historic townhouse in the centre of Mahón, Menorca – a group of emerging artists from Spain and beyond. Taking its name from a stone intrinsic to the Balearic Island (marés), the revolving showcase plays on the Spanish word for ‘Seas’ (mares). Set in a site that was originally a captain’s home, this first iteration reflects on the multi-layered existence of the island and its passing between hands. From the Romans to the British, Berbers and Byzantines, to French and Spanish – there’s been changes of language and cultures, each impacting, shifting, contributing and collectively transforming the island.  ‘marés’ equally calls on Menorca’s connection to the Mediterranean; casting the sea as a body of water that unites rather than divides, the open studio creates dialogues between local to global artistic talent, while its temporary duration takes its cues from the tides, how they emerge for a while, only to retreat, and repeat.

More info soon!

The Santa Clara Project is a cultural and patronage platform founded by artist Mario Antón and Kenneth López Triquell, born in an apartment on Santa Clara Street in Madrid—the same residence where Mariano José de Larra once lived. From this space, the project takes both its name and its spirit: an approach to art rooted in intimacy, conversation, and the activation of spaces with memory, transforming homes into living cultural environments. From the beginning, the project has operated as a meeting point for artists, collectors, and figures from the worlds of art, culture, cinema, fashion, and interiors. With a presence across Madrid, Barcelona, London, and Menorca, it develops exhibitions, gatherings, and original formats that connect artists with collectors and audiences, fostering more direct, organic relationships and encouraging a natural cross-disciplinary dialogue. In parallel, The Santa Clara Project specializes in art advisory, interior design, and spatial curation, creating projects where art, architecture, and design are seamlessly integrated. This approach extends into heritage and restoration, understanding spaces as active parts of a cultural narrative. Its work has been featured in Architectural Digest, AD Spain, GQ, and ICON, and continues to evolve from Mahón with both a local and international outlook.

Apsara is a global curatorial studio led by a sensitivity for art, space and context appreciation. With a curatorial grounding and international outlook, it is dedicated to creating long-term sensitive dialogue across geographies, mediums and disciplines. Each project is a unique journey, unveiling diverse stories, perspectives and powerful dialogues shaped by its collaborators. Founded by Colombian-Swiss curator Jenn Ellis in 2021, an acclaimed international practitioner from London to Hong Kong, her focus is on the intersection of contemporary art, space and context, investigating themes of time, ecology, heritage and place through the lens of global artistic dialogue. Ellis has curated projects across the globe and facilitated knowledge exchange over the last decade with artists, institutions, galleries, residencies and foundations including Dawn Ng, Edgar Calel, Naminapu Maymuru-White, Tate, Michelangelo Foundation, Xenia, the Swiss Cultural Fund and Frieze, and her projects have been featured in The Art Newspaper and the BBC. 

Apsara Studio firmly believes in art’s power to facilitate empathetic and critical conversations. Led by a team of international curators and artists, the studio’s focus ranges from curation and production to research and exhibition design. In 2023, curator and researcher Gema Darbo joined the team. Her practice sits at the intersection of visual culture and curatorial research, with a focus on developing critical frameworks that engage with contemporary artistic production. Over the past decade, she has conceived, developed, and led exhibitions and artistic projects across an international context, working in close dialogue with artists and institutions. Her approach is grounded in long-term collaborations and research-based processes, situating curatorial work as a space for inquiry, experimentation, and knowledge production. She is currently a PhD in the Advanced Practices program at Goldsmiths, University of London.

In October 2024, Apsara Studio launched its physical studio space in an old fireplace shop off Battersea Park, serving as a laboratory for engaged curator- and artist-led projects. Since its foundation, Apsara Studio has led distinctive and acclaimed projects with leading artists, galleries and institutions worldwide, such as Frieze and the Michelangelo Foundation, from New York to Seoul and Burgundy, with projects featured in renowned publications such as Artforum, ArtReview, ARTnews, Condé Nast Traveller, Vogue and The Art Newspaper.