Culture

In the year of its 130th anniversary, the historical flagship of the Catalan press, the spokesperson of the business world and centre-right nationalism has launched an edition in Catalan. ‘La Vanguardia’ has finally taken this step after many years, or even decades, of rumours. Also some months after a new newspaper in Catalan aimed at a similar but younger target began publication. “Our DNA is Catalan”, states the newspaper’s editor Javier Godó to explain their decision.

The exhibition, which commemorates the 70th anniversary of the first meeting between Salvador Dalí and the American photographer Philippe Halsman, reflects the close ties the two artists kept up for over 37 years. The temporary exhibition ‘Dalí by Halsman’ is a collection of 88 photographs on show until 31st December at the Gala Dalí Castle in Púbol.

Visitors can get closer to the centre of the historical Roman stage thanks to a new ramp. Tarraco, Tarragona’s Roman name, was the capital of the Tarraconensis Province and an important city of the Roman Empire. Tarragona’s Roman ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage.

The convention is celebrating its 29th edition. It hopes to gather a total of 100,000 comic fans during the four-day fair. This year the largest exhibition is devoted to creatures of the living-dead.

An exhibition devoted to Miró’s work opens on Thursday in London. It is the first time in 50 years that a large number of paintings by the Catalan artist are displayed in the United Kingdom.

‘Haití, 34 segons després’ (Haití, 34 seconds later) includes unpublished photos, documentaries and restoration projects. The exhibition wants to commemorate the earthquake victims as well as picturing the drama behind and the reconstruction efforts.

The manuscript has been discovered in Dalí and Gala’s castle in Púbol. It reveals the writer dimension of the woman with whom the painter Salvador Dalí was deeply in love.

‘Goodbye Barcelona’ will be on show by the end of the year in London. It will be premiered the year of the 75th anniversary of the International Brigades’ creation, the foreigners who came to Spain to defend the Republic against the Fascist uprising.

This English writer has been living in Catalonia for the last 26 years. This week he presented his new book ‘Barcelona, Catalonia: A View from the Inside’. Tree explains the difficulties he encounters explaining Catalonia to foreigners.

Berlin’s Museum is pretending to be an “official” Dalí Museum, with its website www.dalimuseum.de. The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation won a trial against the German museum, but while a court appeal is pending, Berlin’s Dalí Museum is still open to visitors and using the “official” name.

The cultural facility is thought to be an adaptable building, a library of the 21st century. The project comes with more than 13 years of delay and it is the first ever Spanish Government-funded library in Barcelona.

Catalans traditionally exchange roses and books with their loved ones on 23rd of April. Streets and squares around the country fill with crowds in celebration of the National Day or ‘Diada’.

The organisers stated that Barcelona’s Japanese twin festival of electronic and advanced music will take place despite the tsunami and the nuclear crisis. In addition, Barcelona’s Sonar Festival and its Galicia twin will give 25% of the money made at the box office to Japan’s Red Cross.

The Comic Book and Illustration Museum aims to contribute to the development of a cultural industry with a long tradition in Catalonia. Professionals ask the already approved museum to open its doors by 2013 in Badalona, next to Barcelona.

The Japanese writer wins the 23rd edition of Catalonia’s top award. Other winners have included Jimmy Carter, Aung San Suu Kyi, Claude Lévi-Strauss and Harold Bloom, among others.