The van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam will be opening on the 21st of September 2007 a new exhibition, "Barcelona 1900", dedicated to the presentation of the transformations and evollutions that forever changed the city, bringing it into the modern age, from the 1880 to 1909. It was a time when Barcelona dramatically changed, at first in the architectural dimension, then both artistically and culturally, becoming in just a few decades one of the most important capitals and cultural centers in the whole world.
The curators of the exhibition are trying to present this revolutionary time by several artworks and architectural projects, signed by the leading artists of that period - Pablo Picasso, Ramon Casas, Santiago Rusino, Isidre Nonell - and architects - Antoni Gaudi (certainly the most celebrated one), Lluis Domenech i Montaner, Josep Puig i Cadafalch. Most of them left an important cultural legacy, and are regarded as masters of their time. It is a rare occasion for the art lovers to see works of his quality and diversity in the same show, and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam will trully host a landmark cultural event.
Also, the exhibition is a voyage in that fascinating period, presenting in detail, through artworks and architectural models the important places of the city, ranging from the Palau de la Musica Catalana or the Park Guell to the church of the Sagrada Familia. The organisers have selected around 200 works of art, from paintings and sculptures to furniture, precious and delicate jewellery, models, films, mosaics, showcasing the richness and diversity of this chapter in European arts.
Among the best artworks that will be exhibited starting on the 21st of September are a series of 12 portraits on paper, made by Picasso and depicting the artist himself and several friends. It is one of the few occasions to see this rather unknown series in a single place. Also, the curators have played close attention to the domain of applied arts, and among the examples will be a complete interior, made by the famous designer Joan Busquets, sime jewellery made by Masriera and some pieces of furniture, of schokingly original design, created by Antoni Gaudi.
Also, a major part of the exhibition is dedicated to the varied and interesting world of architectural innovations of that time, which forever changed the way Barcelona looked. The fantastical creations of Gaudi, Montaner, Puig i Cadafalch are present in the exhibition, as definitive marks of the city's urban expansion, by means of models, photographs and works of art.
2007-08-30
