Barcelona
declares
2002
the
International
Year
of
Gaudí
to
commemorate
his
sesquicentennial
The
Barcelona
Municipal
Government
will
celebrate
the
150th
anniversary
of
Gaudí's
birth
with
symposia
and
shows
on
the
architect's
life
and
works
BARCELONA.-
Barcelona
Mayor
Joan
Clos
presented
2002,
the
International
Year
of
Gaudí,
as
another
opportunity
to
promote
Barcelona
to
the
world.
The
celebration,
which
will
commemorate
in
Barcelona
the
150th
anniversary
of
the
Catalan
architect's
birth,
will
reach
a
series
of
different
areas
so
"we
can
discover
the
intensity
of
Gaudí
and
to
show
the
Catalan
culture
on
an
international
level,"
stated
Clos.
Daniel
Giralt-Miracle,
named
General
Commissioner
of
the
event
by
the
Plenary
Council
of
the
City
Hall,
said
that
the
purpose
of
the
celebration
will
be
"to
reread
Gaudí"
and
place
him
on
the
same
level
as
Miró,
Picasso
and
Dalí.
He
explained
that
the
celebration
takes
place
in
Barcelona
because
most
of
Gaudí's
work
is
concentrated
in
the
city,
and
that
there
is
no
intention
for
the
city
to
"appropriate"
the
architect
born
in
Reus
in
1852.
Giralt-Miracle
added
that
the
most
relevant
activities
planned
for
2002,
the
International
Year
of
Gaudí,
will
be
concentrated
between
Easter
and
the
fiesta
of
Mercè
(patroness
of
Barcelona),
the
time
of
year
with
good
weather
and
high
tourist
season.
EXHIBITIONS.
While
the
Center
of
Contemporary
Culture
will
present
"Gaudí
and
His
Time,"
a
show
along
the
same
lines
as
previous
expositions
on
Kafka,
Pessoa
and
Joyce,
the
hall
of
the
Caixa
Catalunya
in
La
Pedrera
will
be
the
scene
for
the
furnishings
designed
by
the
architect
in
the
show
titled
"Gaudí:
Arts,
trades
and
design."
"The
workshop"
will
be
an
exhibition
in
the
schools
of
the
Sagrada
Familia,
showing
Gaudí
as
a
researcher
into
new
construction
techniques,
and
a
permanent
show
will
be
assembled
in
the
Park
Güell,
reflecting
the
architect's
urbanistic
thought.
BUILDINGS.
Although
many
of
the
architect's
works
are
already
open
to
the
public,
the
City
Hall
hopes
that
those
buildings
which
are
privately
owned
may
be
partially
visited.
The
intention
is
for
the
public
to
be
able
to
see
the
interior
garden
of
the
Casa
Vicens,
for
a
show
on
the
Casa
Battló,
open
to
the
public,
to
be
held
in
the
flat
on
the
building's
first
floor,
and
for
the
Casa
Calvet
to
bear
an
outdoor
panel
with
an
explanation
of
the
building's
interior.
CONFERENCES.
The
International
Architects
Union,
along
with
the
boards
of
architects
of
Catalonia
and
Madrid,
and
the
architecture
schools
of
Barcelona,
Vallès,
Australia
and
New
Zealand,
will
organize
a
symposium
surrounding
Gaudí's
work.
For
non-specialists,
a
debate
will
be
opened
in
the
Palau
de
la
Virreina.
PUBLICATIONS.
Giralt-Miracle
stated
that,
in
this
field,
the
Municipal
Government
would
be
an
"initiative
promoter;"
that
is,
it
will
promote
the
appearance
of
publications,
guides,
monographs,
and
CD-ROMs
that
are
approved
by
the
Year
of
Gaudí.
In
January
2002,
the
Municipal
Government
will
publish
a
general
catalogue
of
all
the
show's
activities.
GAUDÍ
BUS.
Since
over
two
million
tourists
visit
Barcelona,
attracted
by
Gaudí's
work,
an
initiative
will
begin
to
promote
the
celebration
among
travel
agencies,
international
tour
operators
and
airlines.
International
promotion
will
take
place
through
Spain's
Offices
of
Tourism
(OET).
The
municipal
government
will
create
a
"brother"
of
the
Bus
Turístic,
called
the
Bus
Gaudí,
which
will
take
tourists
to
the
buildings
and
shows,
and
will
include
an
entry
pass
to
see
all
the
activities
planned
for
the
International
Year
of
Gaudí.
By
Magdalena
Aninat
|
