TREASURE HUNTER: VICTORIA DURRER–GASSE
HOW AN ANCIENT NORTHERN FINCA BECAME A REFLECTION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF THE GALERÍA ELEFANTE FOUNDER.
‘I first came to Ibiza in 1971. My mother and stepfather had a house on the northwest coast, in Cala Salada, so I really felt like I grew up and learned all my life lessons in the north of Ibiza. The whole island revolved around farming and fishing in those days and real roads were few and far between. We had Mobylettes, so we would explore all the dusty old caminos in a little wild gang. We wore denim cut-offs, floaty, floral blouses and the same little payés espardenyes that I still wear today. I’ve had the same pair since I was 16. We’d have barbecues on Aguas Blancas or Benirràs then head out to nightclubs like Es Paradis and KU. There were people from all over the world, dancing together beneath the stars. It was the most extraordinary sense of innocence and freedom and I knew right from those early years that the north of Ibiza would always be the home of my heart.
Ibiza in the 1970s felt very international in a way – there were a lot of French, Dutch, German and Spanish from the mainland. And of course many young American men avoiding conscription to Vietnam. But they integrated so well with the community – all the best parties had a real mix of hippies and the local fishermen and bar owners.
The hippie trail and all its visual elements certainly influenced my style. Years later, when I met my husband François [Gasse, the celebrated French immunisation pioneer], we spent decades travelling those same routes for his work. India, Tibet, Africa, Nepal, Ethiopia, Japan. We’ve always been quite intrepid. My husband was raised in Congo and he collects primitive African art and books.
Our home is one of the oldest fincas in Santa Agnès and my own style is quite eclectic and cosy, with a bit of an exotic country house vibe. There are Moroccan rugs, antique textiles, shells collected by my son Emile and my mother’s old sofa, which was probably bought in London in about 1970. I collect paintings and religious iconography. I’m not in the slightest bit religious Christian, I just have my own beliefs, in which I include a little bit of everything. My home is a reflection of a life spent travelling, gathering and returning here to Santa Àgnes. The north of Ibiza has become a part of me and I a part of it. There is no other place on Earth like here.’
