first retrospective of the graphic and pictorial work of lanfranco bombelli tiravanti

1943-1073 / 1997-2008

lanfranco bombelli (milan, 1921-cadakes, 2008). Italian by birth, Swiss by training and Cadaquesan by choice.

having trained as an architect between Milan and Zurich, he began his work as a concrete artist with minimalist and purely mathematical lines, forming part of the allianz group with bruno munari, max huber, richard paul lohse and max bill. he settled in paris in the 1950s where he and peter harnden founded their architectural practice and worked for the american government designing commercial pavilions for trade fairs and exhibitions.

in the sixties they arrived in Cadaqués under the guidance of Coderch, where they took up residence shortly afterwards, with the headquarters of their studio in Barcelona.

el equipo harnden-bombelli, y posteriormente bombelli solo, crearon una línea de arquitectura simple y austera, respetando lo más auténtico de la construcción tradicional, combinado con la estética más moderna, destacando sus chimeneas de hierro de líneas concretas. the harnden-bombelli team, and later bombelli alone, created a simple and austere line of architecture, respecting the most authentic aspects of traditional construction, combined with the most modern aesthetics, highlighting its iron chimneys with concrete lines. after this first exhibition and having received a magnificent critique from the media, mainly by daniel giralt miracle. galeria cadaqués became a point of reference, being the pioneer in exhibiting for the first time in catalonia and spain artists such as marcel duchamp, richard hamilton, john cage, jasper johns, max bill, frank stella, joseph beuys, dieter roth, david hockney and the photographs of man ray and robert capa. also worth mentioning are the first exhibitions of architectural designs by mies van der rohe, isozaki, the furniture of gaudí and the jewellery of elsa peretti. galeria cadaqués also supported the country’s first conceptual artists such as muntadas, fina miralles and antoni miralda, artists linked to cadaqués such as ràfols casamada, arranz-bravo and the cadaqués artists koyama, pitxot and joan vehí.

He was part of the foundation of the contemporary art fair ARCO in Madrid, where he was responsible for international relations and brought the name of Galeria Cadaqués to an international level, also participating in fairs such as FIAC in Paris.

We must not forget his important work as a publisher of graphic and multiple works and his involvement in the foundation of the Cadaqués International Music Festival with his friend Jordi Roch, among others.

on the occasion of the first anniversary of his death, galeria cadaqués is pleased to present this careful exhibition showing a selection of his work from the 1940s to his last works, thus paying tribute to the master and founder of this space.

for us, his friends, lanfranco bombelli will always be a person to remember. his contribution to our lives, to art and to the town of Cadaqués has been so important that he will always be in our memory and we will never forget him.

“never forget: lanfranco bombelli tiravanti”

huc malla figueras