"Art is beauty, and beauty is the glitter of truth, without it there is no art. For the knowledge of the truth it is necessary to study things thoroughly. Beauty is life, and life is shown in the human figure by means of movement."

Antoni Gaudi

1. - HIGHLIGHTS:
     THE EXHIBITION “INTERNATIONAL REFLECTIONS OF GAUDI”
2. - GAUDINIAN NEWS
     ALARM: THE GUELL CRYPT, QUESTIONED BY THE UNESCO
3. - CHRISTMAS LOTTERY: Nº 25652
4. - EXCLUSIVE CHRISTMAS GAUDINIAN PRESENTS – SHOP
5. - THE GAUDINIAN LIBRARY
6. - NEW ITEMS:
• TWO NEW SECTIONS IN OUR WEB
• THE SAGRADA FAMILIA WORKS
• THE WORKS WINNING THE THIRD PRIZE OF THE GAUDI 2003 PRIZE OF POETRY AND SHORT NARRATIVE
7. - LINKS OF INTEREST
8. - OUR MEMBER’S COLLABORATIONS
9. - AN ARTICLE BY ANA MARIA FÉRRIN: THE 2ND PART OF “GAUDI, HIS LAST BREATH”
10. - SYMBOLOGY IN THE SAGRADA FAMILIA
11. - COMING UP: THE 2004 GAUDI POETRY AND SHORT NARRATIVE CONTEST

1. HIGHLIGHTS

THE EXHIBITION “INTERNATIONAL REFLECTIONS OF GAUDI”

The Gaudi & Barcelona Club presents the exhibition “International Reflections of Gaudi” in the Montserrat cloister of the Sagrada Familia Temple. It is a sample of the works made by our members from all around the world. This exhibition may be visited till January 17th 2004. Don’t miss it!!

2. GAUDINIAN NEWS

ALARM: THE GUELL CRYPT, QUESTIONED BY THE UNESCO

The present restoration of the Guell Crypt may endanger the candidature general of the Gaudi's work as a world heritage.

The UNESCO envisages the declaration of the work by Antoni Gaudi as world heritage in June 2004. But the institution is planning to stop the process, because its has received several negative reports and denounces about the works being carried out in the Colonia Guell crypt. The inhabitants of Santa Coloma de Cervello, where the crypt is located, and many other gaudinists are from the very beginning against the remodelling works started by the Deputation of Barcelona.

Yet in 1984 the Unesco declared World Heritage the Park Guell, the Pedrera and the Palau Guell. Nowadays it is at the stake the general declaration of the Casa Vicens, the Finca Guell pavilions, the Theresian School, the Casa Calvet, Bellesguard, Casa Batllo and the Nativity Façade of the Sagrada Familia Temple in Barcelona, apart from the very Colonia Guell crypt, in Santa Coloma de Cervello.

We are in motion to get in touch with all the actors involved in this conflict and to inform you punctually through our web.
Give us your opinion: Should the works be halted? Must all what has already been built be demolished? To leave it as it is now? Send us your comments.

More information about the Colonia Guell Crypt

3. CHRISTMAS LOTTERY. Nº 25652

We repeat the Christmas Lottery number, to be drawn next 22 December 2003, which is the very one than last year:
25652

It coincides with the Gaudi's date of birth: 25 June 1852. And it is also a symmetrical number.

The share tickets are:
5 euros + donation of 1 euro = 6 euros
As a guarantee, the tickets are placed in the savings bank Caixa d'Estalvis del Penedès.
All the share tickets are numbered.
Two sending options:
- By e-mail, to your personal name,
- By courier, paying the mailing expenses

Take part clicking here and may Gaudí bring us luck!

4. GAUDINIAN CHRISTMAS PRESENTS - SHOP

OLIVE OIL
Health and culture. Surprise your family with a different, useful, original present. The pure olive oil, the cornerstone of the healthiest Mediterranean diet, is in court dress and has adopted the gaudinian forms.
It is about the high quality oil, having extraordinary cooking, dietetic and medicinal properties. It will clearly differ your courses, giving them a delicious Mediterranean gastronomy flavour.

GAUDI FASHION
When Autumn arrives, give your clothing a gaudinian touch. We present you a new collection of jackets, sets of blankets for car and woollen scarves so as to show off Gaudi in a comfortable and elegant way.

CHRISTMAS LOTS
Special Christmas lots, we arrange them according to your taste and budget.

5. THE GAUDINIAN LIBRARY

"Gaudi, the architect of Nature". A totally updated work, with a collection of high quality photographs and the collaboration of the more important specialists on Gaudi.

“Barcelona, tell us more about Gaudi”. The most important works by the architect are the protagonists of this tale which, combining drawings and photographs, approaches the Gaudi's art to the children.

6. NEW ITEMS:

• TWO NEW SECTIONS IN OUR WEB
  
  THE BARCELONA HEARTBEATS - Presently only in Spanish
  Barcelona has an immense cultural richness, which beats like a living being. Artistic trends of every sort, multiple manifestations and knowledge, happenings of all genders... the city is a gigantic being which innovates, gets surprised, seeks, creates, exposes, grows and smiles at the rhythm of its inhabitants and its visitors.
  
  The city over which Gaudi poured all his skill requires a constant attention. It is because of this reason that the Gaudi & Barcelona Club inaugurates this new section, where you can find articles, curiosities, recommendations and a great many of other more things, always being related with Barcelona and its culture.
  
  Can you help us to widen this section? Do you know any cultural event of interest? Send us an e-mail.
  
  GAUDI, TODAY
  You probably already know that during last year it was celebrated the 150th anniversary of Gaudi’s birth. In 2003, our Club celebrates the 151st birthday of the architect. As his work is always current, we have inaugurated this new section, where we will gather all what the press publishes about this genius. Do you want to know all the up to date information referring to Gaudi?
  
  
• THE SAGRADA FAMILIA WORKS
  
  Thanks to the collaboration of the Sagrada Familia Temple, we widen our web with the reports of the works of this great work by Gaudi, in January 2003.
  And in June 2003.
  
  
• THE WORKS WHICH WON THE THIRD PRIZE OF THE GAUDI 2003 PRIZE OF POETRY AND SHORT NARRATIVE
  
  You can already read the works, which won the third prize of the Gaudi 2003 literary contest.

  Last 9th of September we made the cultural visit for the winners. We visited La Pedrera, the Sagrada Familia, the Park Guell and the Gaudi street lamps. The winners were very interested by the explanations of Joan Morell, our most expert gaudinian guide.

7. LINKS OF INTEREST

www.harmonicesgaudi.info Alberto presents us his web page in the forum. What do you think about?

The Mexican architect Abelardo Escobar presents us his just finished web site, where we may know his “holistic” style, his work and his interesting philosophy: www.architectureholistic.com

Don't miss it and tell us what do you think about.

8. OUR MEMBERS’ COLLABORATIONS

Joan Millán, a painter, has based some of his pictures in the works by Gaudi. Here you can see some examples of his work.

Daniel is just 5 years old. His mother, Montse, sends us these drawings and photographs from one of the youngest admirers of the Sagrada Familia architect.

Esther S. Ayuso, an active friend of the club, has sent us a text about “The Longoria Palace: a work by Gaudi in Madrid?”, which we reproduce in our web.

Thank you very much for your passionate text, Esther!!! You are very right when you tell us that there is still a lot to be done, and that all we should get involved a little so as to make know all around the world –and not only in Madrid- the work of this genial architect.

9. AN ARTICLE BY ANA MARIA FERRIN: THE 2ND PART OF “GAUDI, HIS LAST BREATH”

Our member and collaborator Ana Maria Férrin tells us the last three days of Gaudi’s life.
Here you can read the second part of this interesting report, which bears the title “Gaudi, his last breath”.
There will more in the next Gaudi News!!

10. SYMBOLOGY IN THE SAGRADA FAMILIA

THE CHAMELEON

An astute and patient animal, which hardly moves –only its eyes, which scrutinise everything and its tongue, like a precise and deadly whip-. It changes of appearance –of disguise- continuously, is the top portrayal of calm and thought and with a perfect adaptation to the distinct and successive changes and complications of life.

THE SNAKE

A physically weak being, but very astute and slippery, which has traditionally been identified with evil and very especially with the sin, with the incarnation of temptation. The secrecy is its line of conduct, planning masterly its attacks, without any possible escape for the unprepared victim. Besides it renews its skin periodically, like a continuous change of weapons and tactics.

11. COMING UP: THE 2004 GAUDI POETRY AND SHORT NARRATIVE CONTEST

We are preparing the second convoking of the Gaudi Poetry and Short Narrative Contest 2004. As a novelty of the present year, we will include the children category.

You may start thinking about the literary jewel you are going to present us...

Comments and suggestions: news@Gaudiclub.com

Gaudí & Barcelona Club
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