Palmyra Sculpture Centre

THE FOUNDATION

Palmyra Sculpture Centre was founded by Ien van Wierst as a platform through which artists from around the world could connect, interact and enhance their creativity, deep in nature, on the island of Mallorca.

The Balearic island, with its international community and rugged landscape, is a canvas upon which the creativity found at Palmyra is based. With a strong focus on accessibility within art, Palmyra hosts numerous workshops per month, creative stays, and an artist-in-residence program.

Taking its name from the ancient city of Palmyra, the Sculpture Centre takes its epithet as a symbol of strength, fired by female energy. The Syrian city of the same name dates back to 2000 BCE and, following a turbulent history of invasion and expansion, had become a formidable empire under the rule of queen Zenobia in the third century CE. This strong, highly cultivated historical figure, renowned for her power, beauty and wisdom, has been celebrated over the centuries in literature, operas and plays. In light of the history of Majorca, itself with elements from the near east, and the female energy powering the creation of the centre, we feel Palmyra as a name expresses and encapsulates the core energy of this project.

WORKSHOPS

Palmyra offers a number of weekly workshops led by expert sculptors from the Mallorcan artist community in ceramics, wood and stone. The current courses are:

Every Monday stone sculpturing with Joan Costa
from 10:00 - 13:00

Every Saturday Ceramics with Dan Mandelbaum
from 10:00 - 13:00


Personalised workshops for groups or individuals can be organised upon request.

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

Twice a year an artist is invited to live and work on Palmyra to complete a project with and within nature. Artists from all over the world have spent a season at our residency. Whether you’re focussing on a specific project and want to use local materials or are seeking inspiration from the landscape of mallorca, we’d love to hear more.

Previous artists in residence are Dan Mandelbaum, Julie van Riel, Christin Amman, Santjes Oomen, James Lambourne, Yke Prins, Herbert Hundrich, Isabella Lleo, Tamu Gollmer, and Liesbeth Bijwaard

CREATIVE STAYS

The Creative Stays at Palmyra offer guests a chance to enter into dialogue and creative exchange in the heart of Mallorcan nature. In the shade of the Tramuntana mountain, guests are invited to join in wellness meditations, guided workshops in the material of their choice and idea sharing for four days. The stays can be tailored to participants' level and creative goals.