Culture

Barcelona’s CosmoCaixa science museum has inaugurated an exhibition replicating that of the Natural History Museum in London called ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’. The 100 photos on display were selected out of 42,000 images received in the eponymous contest put forth by BBC Wildlife Magazine in 2015. The pictures chosen for the exhibition were also selected because they stimulated “defence of biodiversity and protection of the environment” stated the director of Research and Knowledge of the ‘Fundació la Caixa’ foundation, Jordi Portabella. One can also admire the two winning images from the 2015 contest: ‘A tale of two Foxes’ and ‘Ruffs on Display’, taken respectively by Don Gutoski and Ondrej Pelánek.

The filming of award-winning director Agustí Villarongas' new movie, a cinematic adaption of the classic novel by Catalan author Joan Sales about the Spanish Civil War, has already started in Aragon in north-eastern Spain. Written in 1956, 'Uncertain Glory' is considered to be one of the most important works in Catalan literature of the twentieth century, and its English translation by Peter Bush was chosen on the list of 10 best novels of 2014 by The Economist. It is the first Catalan novel portraying the Civil War through the losing Republicans’ eyes, and for many it is the greatest depiction of the whole war. The film is scheduled to arrive in cinemas in 2017. 

Centering on the artist’s iconic image, the Dalí Theatre-Museum hosts a temporary exhibition of 23 portraits of Salvador Dalí by photographer Philippe Halsman. Showing a less known selection of Dalí’s moustache editorial project, Halsman’s photography can be seen from April 18th to December 31st in the Loggias Room of the museum. The exhibition titled Variants from Dalí’s moustache shows how the artist´s moustache is a key part of the unmistakable image of the genius of surrealism. Presented by Monste Aguer, the Museum’s director, it is the first time that Dalí becomes part of the museum through its own portrait. Now the Dalí Theatre-Museum's collection allows the visitors to capture the artistic journey of Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) through a spectrum of works and at the end of the tour see Dalí himself with different pictures. Latvian photographer Philippe Halsman, did not hesitate to immortalize Dali’s presence in the cultural center by this selection of 23 photographs, included in the book ‘Dalí´s Moustache’ released in 1954 with the help of New York publisher Simon and Shuster.

From the 6th until the 9th of October, Barcelona will host the main annual video game fair in Spain, which until now has been held in Madrid. This was announced by the Spanish Video Games Association (AEVI), which will host the event along with Fira de Barcelona. The video game-centred fair is called ‘Barcelona World Games’, which will replace the original name ‘Madrid Games Week’. The event will take place at the Montjuïc exhibition centre, and will gather together the leading companies in the industry, which are to present the new products to be expected for the Christmas season. The general director of AEVI, José María Moreno, released a statement saying that that the fair will be "an opportunity to find new audiences and markets, generate synergy between industry professionals and discover the potential of gaming in the fields of economy, culture and education".

The NGO ‘Plataforma per la Llengua’, which aims to promote the use of Catalan as a tool for social cohesion, warned on Tuesday that the language is “going backwards” in the field of Justice. Only 3% of trials in Catalonia are in Catalan and up to 75% of lawyers that use it have been asked to use Spanish instead on at least one occasion, regretted the president of the NGO, Òscar Escuder. A new report from the organisation, however, also includes some positive figures: Catalan is now spoken by more than 10 million people, and up to 13.4 million understand it. Outside Catalonia, it is in the Balearic Islands where Catalan is most widely spoken: up to 80.5% of citizens there know the language. In French-Catalonia, however, only 35.5% of inhabitants speak the language.

Visitors can finally see the sacristy on the west side of Gaudí’s cathedral, the Sagrada Familia. The construction of Barcelona’s most iconic building began in 1882 and aims to be finished in 2026. Recently architects removed the framework and scaffolding from the sacristy where visitors can see symbols on the obelisks on the corner of two famous streets in Barcelona, Provença and Sardenya. The sacristy contains several items for the celebration of liturgical acts, some of which are original designs and others are reproductions of the famous Catalan architect. In two years’ time, the six central towers will already be visible and by 2023 they will be complete, making it the tallest religious building in Europe.

After the 2016 celebrations for Sant Jordi’s festival came to a close, Catalan Minister of Culture Santi Vila announced that the Catalan Government will offer its full support to an initiative to recognise the feast day as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). As opposed to UNESCO World Heritage, ICH safeguarding works to promote and protect traditions, practices, and other living expressions of culture beyond physical sites, objects, and monuments. Until now, the Catalan Booksellers Guild and the Catalan Publishers Guild have discussed the initiative with the House of Books — the same institute that worked to have the 23^rd of April recognised as UNESCO World Book Day. 

Sotheby’s Paris has auctioned an unpublished diary from Catalan painter Salvador Dalí for the price of 91.800 euros. Sold on the 26^th of April, the leather-bound, handwritten journal was used by the surrealist artist between 1930 and 1935, and is valued at between 40,000 and 60,000 euros. The notebook not only includes original drawings and sketches, but also literary texts, artistic criticism, and even an account of the artist´s daily spending. "It is an extremely sought-after and very moving item”, noted vice president and head of Sotheby's books and manuscripts Anne Heilbronn. 495 additional items were in the collection that was auctioned alongside the journal, comprising the most complete collection dedicated to Dadaism and Surrealism. This set contains collaborations by Breton, Magritte, Penrose, Ernst, Miró, Man Ray, Dominguez, Éluard and Picasso.

Sant Jordi is not only both Catalonia’s and England’s patron saint but also one of the Catalans’ most beloved traditions, which has been exported internationally and coincides with UNESCO World Book Day on the 23^rd of April. As happened in the last 5 years, London’s Borough Market was the epicentre of Sant Jordi’s celebrations in the British capital, which included stalls selling books and roses, Catalan gastronomy and wine tasting, storytelling and a mix of both Catalan and English folklore. However, one of the most applauded activities was the performance of ‘Castellers of London’, a group made up of Catalan people living in the UK but also locals and human tower fans of various nationalities. “Performing at Borough Market on such a special day for Catalans, it feels like a dream to us” assured Marc Pujol, a member of the Castellers.

The festivity of Sant Jordi, one of the most romantic and anticipated days of the year for many Catalans, was a success. Hundreds of thousands of people headed to the streets this Saturday in search of a book and a rose for their loved ones. Barcelona was particularly crowded, but so were the other capitals of Catalonia, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona, and all the small towns and villages of the country. Late in the afternoon, the rain slightly hampered the celebration in parts of the country, especially in the north. Book sellers and florists, however, were satisfied with expected sales of about 1.5 million books and around 5.5 million roses. Sant Jordi was also a great occasion for readers to meet their favourite authors, who took part in different book signings. In Barcelona, where the most famous authors were, but also in other cities, there were long queues for a signature. The bestseller in Catalan was 'La filla del capità Groc', by Víctor Amela.

The Catalan President said during his speech on the occasion of Sant Jordi that the festivity is an opportunity to have the voices of the Catalans “heard and respected”, and he urged to achieve this through “arguments, proposals, dialogue and understanding”. Carles Puigdemont described Sant Jordi as “one of the most anticipated days of the year in Catalonia and one of the most beautiful and enjoyable to experience” and invited “everyone, people from here and from abroad, to enjoy it in person”. “Take full advantage of this day and enjoy it with happiness, civility and respect for everyone!”, he added, in a televised speech.

Sant Jordi’s Day is not only a huge festival for Catalonia, but for the printing and publishing industry as well. Annually, book sales during the festival weekend contribute between 5 and 8 percent of yearly profits. In 2015, the Catalan Booksellers Guild reported that 1.5 million books had been sold in Catalonia during the Sant Jordi festival, bringing in roughly €19.2 million. If last year’s trends where buyers bought more than one book during the festival continue, sales could be even higher for printed books of varying topics and genres. This year’s predicted top-selling books for Sant Jordi cover everything from ways to tidy up and organise your home to psychological thrillers and island mysteries.

To celebrate Sant Jordi, the patron saint of Catalonia, various cities and towns throughout Catalonia will host a variety of events, including the more traditional vigil of Sant Jordi on the 22^nd of April and the blessing of the roses, but also extending to more than 500 events all over the territory. Such events span staged readings, museum open houses, meetings with writers, dances, open air recitals, and poetry readings. Additionally, more linguistically focused events will take place which will focus on the local language and culture, promoted by the linguistic normalisation centres (CNLs), which aim to promote the use of Catalan in its different forms. Meanwhile, Montblanc, a town which is said to be the home of the legend of dragon slayer Sant Jordi, will host the 29^th edition of the Medieval Week of the Legend of Sant Jordi festival in conjunction with the day of Sant Jordi itself. 

People all over the world celebrate one of Catalonia’s most beloved festivals, Sant Jordi’s Day, in different ways. This year, over 40 countries have planned well over 100 activities throughout the week of the 23^rd of April through the first days of May. Through a collaboration between the University Network of Catalan studies abroad as well as the Ramon Llull Institute and the Catalan Government, activities celebrating love, literature, and Catalan culture have been scheduled across Europe as well as North and South America. This year, activities including everything from Instagram contests to a project encouraging students across continents to update and extend Wikipedia articles on the Catalan philosopher and writer Ramon Llull, to whom Catalonia dedicates all the cultural activities this 2016, have been scheduled. 

Since the 15^th century, Catalonia has been celebrating the feast day of Sant Jordi (Saint George) on the 23^rd of April. Each year, people flock to the streets to celebrate this Catalan equivalent to Valentine’s Day. Traditionally, on Sant Jordi’s Day men presented their lovers with roses, while women gave their lovers a book in return. Today, both men and women give roses and books to their friends, family, and partners as a way to celebrate love and literature. More than 500 activities related to Sant Jordi and literature will be held all over Catalonia, although Barcelona is set to be the epicentre, with hundreds of stalls selling roses, bookshops taking their catalogue to the squares and renowned writers signing their novelties and meeting their fans. In the last years, Sant Jordi has also gained international recognition and will be celebrated in more than 40 countries all over the globe.