Pere Gifre Geli: Mimicking and Transforming Nature

On the occasion of the exhibition Mimicking and Transforming Nature, which will be hosted by the Sala Galatea of the Alàbriga Hotel & Home Suites from April 12 to July 12, 2025, we interview Pere Gifre Geli. The artist talks to us about his fascination with nature, his creative process, the combination of traditional and digital techniques in his sculptures and the emotional connection he seeks to generate in the viewer. We also discover some of his most emblematic monumental works and his upcoming international projects.

Alexandra Planas. Mimicking and Transforming Nature is the title of your exhibition. In what sense does your work reinterpret these concepts?
Pere Gifre Geli. Since I was a child I have felt a deep fascination for the forms of nature. Over the years, this fascination has become the driving force behind my sculptural language. It is not just about imitating, but understanding and reinterpreting: capturing the organic essence of water, wood, flowers or even geological processes and transforming them into compositions that connect with the soul of the viewer. My pieces are deformed mirrors of nature: they recreate it, but also question it, reinvent it, transcend it.

AP. How does the creative process of a piece of yours come about and evolve?
PGG. It all starts with an emotion or a reflection. Sometimes it's concrete events—like the volcanic eruptions of La Palma or the pain of current wars—that lead me to channel feelings through forms. Other times, it's the beauty of water or the fragility of a flower that invite me to explore new textures. I draw sketches and ideas and let these visions transform into matter through a process where intuition plays a key role.

AP. Have the works we will see had any digital intervention or are they completely manual?
PGG. My methodology combines traditional and digital techniques. Part of the process is manual and material, but I like to experiment with digital tools to explore impossible shapes or test proportions. In the end, however, each work has a soul that can only emerge through direct contact with the materials.

AP. How many pieces make up the exhibition and what format are they?
PGG. The exhibition includes around 15 wall sculptures and 5 free-standing sculptures. The dimensions vary to generate an immersive experience: from more intimate formats of 80x80 cm to monumental pieces of 150x150 cm that dominate the space with force.

Pere Gifre Gil i Svetlana Scherer, directora Alàbriga Hotel & Home Suites

AP. What techniques and materials do you use?
PGG. We work with mixed media according to the concept of each collection. Resins, foams, glass fibers and even treated natural elements are integrated into the works. The final painting is done with an airbrush to achieve subtle transitions, while the volumes and textures are done with a brush, sponges or our own tools. It is a deeply physical and at the same time poetic process.

AP. You also exhibit a series of smaller sculptures. What can you tell us about them?
PGG. The small-format pieces belong to the Water Feelings collection, an iconic series in my career. They are sculptures that capture moving water—its energy, turbulence, and ephemeral beauty—in a frozen instant. Created with a high level of detail and complexity, some have been exhibited in museums and galleries internationally. They are the works that most define me as an artist.

AP. You have created some of the tallest indoor sculptures in the world. Can you tell us about them?
PGG. Yes. Some of my most iconic works are Splash (2008), a 23-meter hanging sculpture created for the Zaragoza Universal Expo; Waterfall (2020), a 26-meter sculptural waterfall at the VP Plaza España Design ***** in Madrid; Falls of the Seas (2022), the largest, at 28 meters high, installed on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Odyssey of the Seas; and The Current (2023), a 16x6 meter outdoor sculptural painting at the AKKA Hotel ***** in Palm Beach.

AP. How do you think your work dialogues with the spaces of the Alàbriga Hotel & Home Suites?
PGG. L'Alàbriga is an ideal space for my work. It shares values such as respect for nature, a taste for detail and a love for art. The Galatea Room and the Terra Restaurant offer natural light and an architectural environment that elevates each piece. It is a perfect fusion between sculpture, space and experience.

AP. What are your next projects?
PGG. We just installed an outdoor water sculpture on TUI Cruises' new luxury cruise ship INTUITION. And now we are developing three monumental projects for Florida, Dubai and Boston, all inspired by the interaction between water and nature.

AP. Will there be parallel activities during the exhibition?
PGG. Yes. Since many works are for sale, the collection will be constantly renewed. Every time a piece is sold, it will be replaced by a new one. This makes the exhibition evolve, inviting you to return to discover what has changed. A living exhibition.