Quarantine

 A Testament to Process, Monologues by Carles Gomila, Darren Green, Itziar Lecea Llufriu 

I’d gotten wind of a secret… Off the coast of Spain, in the Mediterranean Sea, lies the Balearic island of Menorca. Nestled in the harbor there is a smaller island whose citadel is an historic fortress built in 1817. The Lazaretto of Menorca was originally established as a quarantine station to help mitigate the spread of ship-trafficked disease throughout the Mediterranean. Today, the fortress ruins provide an intriguing day trip for visiting tourists, but on select occasions the island has also become a gathering point for artists embarked on a liberating and thrilling creative adventure called “Quarantine“. The program, founded by Spanish artists, Carles Gomila, Itziar Lecea Llufriu and American, Darren Green, asserts this vision for personal discovery: “Quarantine was born with the commitment to offer what an academic education, due to its very nature and purpose, cannot: progress as an artist, not as an art student.” Participants in each week-long event the group hosts are treated to the mentorship of leading artists and agents, intensive bootcamps and masterclasses and, of course, delicious Spanish wine. “We are here to enjoy the experience WITH you, not AT you,” the founders stress. This indulgence among passionate artists in such an inspired setting, establishes a sense of community that is emblematic of just how intense, demanding and fulfilling the artist’s life truly is. In march of 2023, I wrote to the Quarantine team expressing my interest in their venture. My message acknowledged similarities in our missions and approach to working with creatives. Above all, I noted, what attracted me to their their manifesto was the disclaimer acknowledging that artists in their realm need not be “venerable or respectable,” but rather must simply believe steadfastly in their work, aspire to sound ethics and live with a healthy share of “hedonism.” This was music to my ears at a time when the arts have been utterly politicized. Over the course of the summer and fall, the Quarantine team prepared the following monologues in response to my inquiry, illuminating their role producing the event, maintaining an air of secrecy and the experiences participants have when drawn to Menorca.

– Jeffrey F. Barken