Culture

The National Portrait Gallery in London, in collaboration with the Barcelona Picasso Museum, has set up one of the most comprehensive collections dedicated to Picasso´s portraiture ever created. In London, more than 75 works of art will show each of the artist´s phases and varying techniques, a testament to “his unique vision”. Exhibition curator Elizabeth Cowling noted that it has “never ever been done before” to show the artist´s work in a museum “dedicated entirely to portraiture”. Furthermore, this is the first time that the London museum will feature portraits of figures that aren’t British. The exhibition will later be held in Barcelona, where the collection will be extended by five pieces, one of which will be lent by the Art Institute of Chicago for the first time.

To celebrate its 40^th anniversary, the Joan MiróFoundation has updated its permanent exhibition and the collection of the Catalan painter´s work.The museum, founded in 1975 by Joan Miróhimself, will now permanently display the Kazumasa Katsuta collection, the triptych paintings ‘Painting on White to a Solitary Cell’and ‘The Hope of a Condemned Man’. Additionally added is the ‘Barcelona Series’, which will be part of the added works displayed in the eight halls of the museum. The museum itself was designed by architect Josep Lluis Sert in collaboration with his friend Joan Miró, and was created especially to display the painter´s key pieces. ‘Joan Miró. Collection’proposes the rediscovery of the permanent collection of the Foundation through a new exposition. The museum will also offer free activities, starting on the 9^th of April.

The eighth edition of the Sismògraf Olot Dance Festival, held in the Girona region, ended this this Sunday with a record-breaking 150,000 attendees, marking a 25% increase from 2015. The festival was made up of approximately thirty performances, most of them free and performed outdoors; of the eleven shows that were not free of charge, however, all were sold out. Entertaining the audience were 200 professionals, the number of which has also grown by 33% since last year. A quarter of these performers came from outside Catalonia, predominantly from England and Holland. Not only was there a first-time high in terms of attendance and performers, but the festival has also implemented an award, and is for the first time seeing a carry-over of shows related to the festival for the rest of the year.  

Opening today, photography exhibition ‘Barcelona. The Metropolis in the Age of Photography 1860-2004’ tells the story of the Catalan capital with 1,000 works. The collection of photographs, magazines, documentaries and films is provided by 58 lenders which are primarily in Catalonia but also to be found in Madrid, Pamplona, Salamanca, Paris, Lausanne, London and even New York. The history of the city of Barcelona is separated into six major moments, within which one can observe the metropolis change with the World Fair, the expansion of the city, the opening of new streets, the rhetoric of new artistic movements, social struggles, the Civil War and the subsequent photographical documentation of the transition to democracy. Ending in 2004, this chronological exhibition represents curator Jorge Ribalta’s many years of intensive work exploring the relation between photographs and a city. 

Josep Maria Ballarín, popularly known as ‘Mossèn Ballarín’, was a Catalan priest, writer and intellectual. Regarded as a symbol of Catalanism and defined by some as an atypical priest, he represented one of the most heterodox branches of the Catalan church. Ballarín published more than 40 books and achieved great popularity with ‘Mossèn Tronxo’ (‘Tronxo Priest’) in 1989, which sold more than 100,000 copies. His novel ‘Santa María, pa de cada dia’ (‘Saint Maria, daily bread’) won the Ramon Llull prize in 1996, one of the most prestigious awards in the field of Catalan literature. In 1995 he was awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi, a prize given by the Catalan government to those individuals or institutions whose work in the political, social, economic, cultural or scientific field has been outstanding. Ballarín died this Friday at the age of 96.

Rome, 1948: artist Savador Dalí and director Luchino Visconti, introduced by Coco Chanel, collaborate on a unique rendition of Shakespeare´s pastoral play ‘As You Like It’. The exhibition ‘Dali, Shakespeare, Visconti’ features photos and material from the scenography of the staging, and is on exhibition at the Castle of Púbol, a town in the region of Girona in Catalonia. The exhibition, which was also created in commemoration of the 400-year anniversary of Shakespeare´s death in 1616, will run from Tuesday the 15th of March until the 6th of January.

Picasso, Manet, Degas, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Courbet and other outstanding names within the Impressionist and Modern Art movement are amongst the prestigious art collection assembled by American collector Duncan Phillips. Now, for the first time, some of their masterpieces will be displayed in Barcelona. ‘Conversations: Impressionist and Modern Masterworks from The Phillips Collection’, which includes around sixty referential works from the 19th century, will be shown at the CaixaForum museum until the 19th of June.

Festival Cruïlla Barcelona has unveiled more artists that will perform at the seventh edition of the celebration, which is to be held on the 8^th, 9^th, and 10^th of July. The newly confirmed artists in the festival´s line-up are Robert Plant, along with The Sensational Space Shifters, Crystal Fighters, Cat Power, Skunk Anansie and Esperanza Spalding, amongst many others. However, one of the most outstanding artists confirmed is Robert Plant, the iconic voice of Led Zeppelin. He will perform the album ‘Lullaby…and the Ceaseless Roar’ for the first time in Spain with the accompaniment of The Sensational Space Shifters. The festival has also announced its daily concert schedule, and that it is keeping its pass price at 90 euros. 

The National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC) reviewed what its 2016 exhibitions would consist of, although the showings unofficially begun in December of 2015. The star exhibition of the season will be ´Picasso and Romanesque Art´, a joint venture with the Picasso Museum in Paris. Besides this, other exhibition centred onLuis “el Divino” Morales, Renaissance painting, 20^th century photography and features on several Catalan artists, such as Lluïsa Vidal and Ismael Smith, will complete the MNAC’s agenda for 2016. The MNAC’s director, Pepe Serra, celebrated that the museum is finally “starting to have a normal planning rhythm for a museum of its size” which will allow the MNAC’s calendar to synchronise with “other international museums”.

A record-breaking 30,504 spectators attended the 5^th edition of the Figueres International Circus Festival, which was sold out for almost all performances. The three acts which won the Golden Elephant, the Figueres International Circus Festival first prize, were from China and Mongolia. From China, the WuQiao Arts School of China performed ‘Qin Warriors’, while the Sheyang Acrobatic Troupe of China showcased ‘Fan Dance.’ From Mongolia, ‘Troupe Nomuna’ performed an acrobatic tumbling act. Figueres, a city near the Costa Brava and bordering with France, already hosts the second biggest international circus festival after the one at Monte-Carlo.

The British singer Seal will perform on the 23^rd of July at Auditori del Parc del Castell and Canadian artist Diana Krall will also do so a few days later, on the 30^th of July. Whereas this will be the first time Seal will perform at the Castell de Peralada Festival, Krall returns on this the 30^th anniversary of the festival, after her concert in 2008. Seal will be touring his new album ‘7’ and Krall will make her only stop in Catalonia at Peralada, as part of her ‘Wallflower’ world tour. Another highlight on the festival’s line up will be Puccini’s Turandot, directed by Catalan actor and director, Mario Gas. 

The first European date on ‘The River Tour 2016’ will be in Barcelona. The Boss will visit the Catalan capital on the 14^th of May to commemorate the 35^th anniversary of the release of his album ‘The River’ with a concert at Camp Nou. ‘The River Tour 2016’ started in Pittsburgh on the 16^th of January and The Boss performed the whole album, one of his most iconic works. Together with the E Street Band, Springsteen will offer two other shows in Spain; one in San Sebastian and the other in Madrid. Tickets for the Barcelona show will go on sale on the 1^st of March, with prices ranging from 80 euros to 115 euros for reserved seats. The last time The Boss visited Barcelona was in 2012, when he offered a double show during ‘The Wrecking ball’ tour.

The 17^th edition of Barcelona’s 080 Fashion week started this Monday and is taking place at the iconic Casa Llotja de Mar in Barcelona throughout the week. The opening catwalk featured the previous edition’s National Award to Emerging Designer winner CarlotaOms. The eventwill combine offerings from newcomers such as Pau Esteve with those of consolidated firms such as Custo Barcelona and Sita Murt. Besides the fashion shows, 080 Barcelona Fashion will also host many other parallel activities bringing together different points of view on fashion. One of the highlights of this edition is the presence of Manolo Blahnik, the shoe designer and global icon, who will present his book ‘Fleeting Gestures and Obsessions’. The event will also pay tribute to designer Pedro Rodríguez.

The Catalan Film Academy celebrated this Sunday its annual Gaudí Awards ceremony, which recognises Catalan productions with a significant presence of Catalan artistic and technical staff.The debut film ‘El camí més llarg per tornar a casa’ directed by Sergi Pérez won the award for best film in Catalan language. ‘Truman’, starring Argentinian actor Ricardo Darín, won in six categories, including best film in non-Catalan language, best director for Cesc Gay, best actor in a leading role for Darín and best supporting roles for Javier Cámara and Dolores Fonzi. ‘El Rey de la Habana’ (‘The King of Havana’) and ‘Anacleto Agente Secreto’ (‘Anacleto, Secret Agent’) won four Gaudís each. 

One of Europe’s most well-known electronic music events, Barcelona’s Sónar Festival has announced the line up for its 23^rd edition. The legendary Manchester band New Order will again be on the bill, after performing at the festival in 2012. The British musician James Blake will present his latest album ‘Radio Silence’ and the French pioneer of synthesisers, Jean-Michel Jarre, has chosen the Catalan festival to mark his comeback to the stage. Sónar “has become everything a modern festival aims to be” stated Jarre. Last year, nearly 120,000 people attended the festival, which takes place at Fira ed Montjuic during the day and Fira Gran Via by night.