RECENT
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Summertime in Barcelona
Lara Fontana spent five days last summer in Barcelona and she discovered all Gaudí's works. Here you can see her pictures.


Gaudí Style Artist
Since 13 years ago Livia Garreta has been working on trencadís decorations (inside and outside) and now she presents them at her website.

May 2001
Joan Bassegoda

- What opinion do you have of the events which are being organized for the celebration of the Year of Gaudí?

They have been planned with great intent. The event commissary, Mr. Daniel Giralt-Miracle, is on hand; the presentation was done in the Saló de Cent and was attended by 200 entities.

There will be a large exposition in the Pedrera, which will last 4 months, with many materials from the Cátedra Gaudí; also, many books will be published - "Mr. Gaudí", "Gaudí Master Architect", one on gardens, edited by the UPC, another on Gaudí's houses, in collaboration with three editorials from Spain, Italy, and France, etc.

- Do you think that these activities will promote the study of Gaudí of that they will convert him into a superficial, touristy figure?

He already is a superficioal and touristy figure; remember that the works of Gaudí are visited by some million people every year.

Now well, if on top of the publication of these books there is an International Congress of Gaudinists, that will draw more than solely tourists; it will draw investigators, architects, art historians, etc. So, some deeper investigation of Gaudí will occur, although the study of Gaudí has already advanced greatly: works which never before known are now being discovered… when people decide to work together, more gets done than when one choses to work alone.

- …Now that you've said what you have about new works, could you tell us an example of a recently discovered work?

Yesterday or the day before yesterday (10th May 2001), the newspaper "El País" published an article by Josep Maria Tarragona who has found that, in 1907, Gaudí did the decoration for the gothic room of the Market of Barcelona, for the celebration of the "Jocs Florals". And no one knew this! Apparently these "Jocs" were a disaster and were hence not spoken of often.

- How do you see the future of Gaudí Study in the University?

In today's world, there does not exist a university in the world that doesn't have one doctorate project on Gaudí.

In the university, as there are different professors with distinct criteria, Gaudí is being studied by different points of view as well. This is what is so interesting! Here we can be very rigorous and impartial, but there are others who aren't so much…. And then there are others who preach nonsense. This forms a part of that there are many who take advantage of what Gaudí was by saying silly things.

- Do you think there should be a specific course on Gaudí in the University?

That is what I was doing for a few years - giving a doctorate class on Gaudí. Now I will do it another way, for example, I will give courses in the Excursionist Center of Catalonia.

In fact, that a specific class on Gaudí will be explained does not really make sense. One would have to do a program, examine the people… if they are interested in Gaudí, they should read books, visit his works, and keep documentation of them.

I think it should be studied within the broader History of Architecture.

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