Rossell is a conceptual artist, member of the “grup d’artistes catalans de Paris”. He has worked on performances, installations, visual poetry, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, film, video and poetry. He has developed a very particular language combining original micrographies, ideograms and pictograms that do not belong to any linguistic code. His is an artistic practice where caligraphy and writing converge: a language that creates an infinite repertoire of signs, gestures, themes, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic forms, which continue to examine the usual concerns of his work: the search for pictorial, symbolic and narrative spaces.
He has shown his work in more than a hundred solo exhibitions: in Barcelona — Institut de Difusió i Informació d’Arts Plàstiques, Club 49, 1968; Galería G, 1977; Galería Joan Prats, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1998; Fundació Miró, 1984; Galería Maeght, 1985; La Virreina, 1996; Museu-Arxiu Tomàs Balvey, Cardedeu, 2004; i Auditori Montcada i Reixac, 2005 —; in Paris —Galerie Bazarine , 1970; Galerie Shandar, 1977; Galerie Breteau, 1983; Galerie du Centre, 1991; Espace Accatone, 1997—; in Madrid — Galería Seiquer, 1973; Grupo Quince, 1978—; in Karlsruhe —Prinz-Max-Palais, 1983—; in New York —”On the night”, NY University, 1985; Anthology Film Archives, 1990—, in Luxemburg —Galerie Schweitzer, 1997, 1999, 2001— and in Lleida —El Roser, Museu Jaume Morera, 1996; Institut d’Estudis Ilerdencs, 2001—...
His regular participation in group exhibitions make him one of the most representative Catalan artists of his time. Among other exhibitions, he has shown his work in: Galerie Jacqueline Ranson, Paris, 1967; Marché Expérimental d’Art, Paris, 1968; Salon de Mai, Paris, 1970; Salon de la Jeune Sculpture, Paris, 1970; “Le dessin d’humour du XVième siècle à nos jours”, Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, 1971; “Art films”, Arts Laboratory, London, 1971; “Jeune cinéma espagnol, aspects du court métrage”, Cinémathèque française, Paris, 1972; “L’estampe contemporaine à la Bibliothèque Nationale”, Paris, 1973; Salon de la Jeune Peinture, Paris, 1974; “Festa de la lletra”, Galleries Joan Prats, Eude, Ciento i Trece, Barcelona, 1979; “Third international avant-garde festival”, National Film Theater, London, 1979; Salon des Indépendants, Paris, 1980; “Art Script”, Galerie de Seine, Paris, 1980; “Il gergo inquieto”, Nuovi aspetti del cinema sperimentale europeo, Genova, 1980; “Le papier du dessin”, Institut Français, Stockholm, 1981; “Les lettres sont des choses”, Espace alternatif «Créatis», Paris, 1983; “Écritures dans la peinture”, Centre National des Arts Plastiques, Villa Arson, Nice, 1984; “Barcelona, París, New York”, Palau Robert, Barcelona, 1985; “Pintar con papel”, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Madrid; “Maeght 15 anys”, Galeria Maeght, Barcelona, 1989; “Literatures Submergides”, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Reus, Lleida, 1991; “Constants de l’art català actual”, Centre d’Art Santa Mònica, Barcelona, 1992; “Ideas and attitudes, 1969-1981”, Corner House, Manchester; John Hansard Gallery University of South Hampton, 1994; “Fragments”, Col·lecció Rafael Tous, La Virreina, Barcelona, 1994; “1994 Budoh No Kuni International - The 2nd Biennale Exhibition of Prints”, Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, Japan; “Col·lecció permanent”, MACBA, 1997; “Fora de Camp”, Metrònom, Barcelona, 1999; “La Fête des Artistes”, Galerie Lucien Schweitzer, Luxembourg, 2000; “Deu artistes per al 700 Aniversari de la Universitat de Lleida”, Universitat de Lleida i Universitat Pompeu Fabra de Barcelona, 2001; “IX National Printmaking Prize”, Nacional Calcography, Madrid, 2002; “Art Conceptual Espanyol”, Tecla Sala, l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 2002; “Conceptes”, Metrònom, Barcelona, 2003; “La vaixella Imaginària”, FoodCultureMuseum, Barcelona, 2003, “Desacuerdos”, MACBA, Barcelona, 2005, “El arte sucede”, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, 2005...
In the last few years he has made a few incursions into the field of public sculpture: «Arbre Paer»,1997, Plaça del Seminari Vell, “L’Ametlla com balla”, 1999, Plaça Escorxador, “Una SALUT de ferro”, 2006, Hospital Arnau de Vilanova; and Barcelona “Tir al món con mar de fons”, 2001, Canyelles Metro station.
Publications:
- Microteatre U, texts by V. Altaió, Edicions Eczema, Sabadell,1982.
- Micro-Opera de Benet Rossell, texts by S. Sarduy and A. van de Pas, Àmbit Serveis Editorials, S.A., Barcelona, 1984.
- Dona, another woman, in Bosch i De Kooning, Café Central, 6, Barcelona, 1990.
- Benet Rossell, text by R. Coover, Àmbit de Dibuix, Barcelona, 1990.
- The dice, with Jordi Torrent, Cafè Central, 22, Barcelona, 1991
- Epigrafies/Epigramies, poems by A. Clapés, Cafè Central, Barcelona, 1991
- A fum de sabatots, texts by A. Clapés, C. Hac Mor, J. Sala-Sanahuja, and E. Xargay Cafè Central, Barcelona, 1993
- Espais Intransitables, texts by A. Clapés, J. Domènech, C. Hac Mor, J. Sala-Sanahuja, V. Sunyol, Cafè Central, 57, Barcelona. 1994
- A frec, poems by A. Clapés, Cafè Central, Barcelona, 1994
- Agenda, text by M. de Renzi, Àmbit Serveis Editorials, S.A., Barcelona, 1995.
- L’avidité de leurs yeux, poems by Gilbert Lascault, Cafè Central, Barcelona, 1996.
- Road Poetry, prologue by Lydia Oliva, Pagès editors, Lleida, 2001.
- Kitschot, text by M. de Cervantes, Emboscall, Vic, 2005
Filmography:
1969 Co-directs with Carles Andreu the short film La Seine. 16 mm., B&W, 23 minutes.
1970 Directs the short film Baleine. 16 mm., colour, 10 minutes.
1971 Co-directs with Jaume Xifra the short film Calidoscopi. 16 mm., B&W, 10 minutes.
1972 Works on the set design for the feature film Corazón solitario by F. Betriu, Madrid.
1973 Co-directs with Miralda the short film Paris La Cumparsita. 16 mm., colour, 25 minutes.
1974 Art director in the feature film Furia española by F. Betriu, Barcelona.
Co-directs with Joan Rabascall the short film Biodop. 16 mm., B&W, 16 minutes.
Directs the short film Ceremonials, a documentary film about festivals and rituals organised by: Miralda, Rabascall, Seltz and Xifra. 16 mm., colour, 26 minutes.
1975 Co-directs with J-P Béranger the short film Le cœur est un plaisir. 16 mm., B&W, 7 minutes.
1977 Directs the short film Atrás etíope. 16 mm., colour, 10 minutes.
1979 Writes with Francesc Betriu and Gustau Hernández the treatment for the feature film Los fieles sirvientes by F. Betriu.
Co-directs with Antoni Miralda the short film Miserere. 16 mm., B&W, 12 minutes.
1980 Directs the short film Portrait. 16 mm., B&W, 3 minutes.
1981 Writes with Francesc Betriu and Gustau Hernández the script for La plaça del Diamant, a feature film and a 4 episode television series, directed by F. Betriu.
1983 Writes with Antoni Miralda the script for Barcelona Gran Menú, a video directed by Miralda.
1984 Directs the video Micro-òpera 2. 13 minutes.
1985 Directs the video Pound. 7 minutes.
Writes with Carles Andreu the treatment and script for Despertaferro, an animation feature film directed by J. Amorós.
1986 Directs the video Carob way. 18 minutes.
1989 Directs the video Lo pedrís. 6 minutes.
1990 Co-directs with Jordi Torrent the video El dau. 8 minutes.
1993 Directs the video Mil a Miró. 17 minutes.
1997 Directs the video Màndorla Ignis. 20 minutes.
1999 Writes the scripts and is the main actor of the video Tirant lo Món directed by Jaume Vidal, Centre de cultura SA NOSTRA, Palma de Mallorca, 5 minutes.
2001 Directs the video Mar de fons, 45 minutes.
Directs the video Tir al món con mar de fons. 4 minutes.
Directs the video FoodCultureMuseum.Barcelona, 5,12 minutes.
2005 Directs the video Lo Quichon, 4,40 minutes.
