Joan Brooks

Art And Culture In Barcelona by Christine Brookes

The Antoni TÃ pies foundation is named after the famous Catalan painter. He established the organistation in 1984 with the aim of encouraging people to study modern art and culture. In this way, he hopes that they would come to understand these areas much better. Here, a wide collection of works that reflect his growth as an artist are on show. There is also a very attractive library with an eclectic variety of books, manuscripts, pamphlets etc regarding the past century's artworks and the masters who created them. Visitors are free to access the roof terrace, which is deserving of some exploration. The building was completely renovated in a move which took two years to complete and reopened in March of 2010.

The Barcelona Contemporary Culture Centre hosts exhibitions with some interesting headings such as urbanism, music, dance, debates and readings. It also organises festivals and concerts, in addition to hosting movie screenings and classes. Its aim is to support creativity via modern technology and language. It encourages people involved in all of these areas, and more, to come together and collaborate with each other by providing informal social spaces.

Caixa Forum is a frequent hive of cultural activity in Barcelona. It hosts exhibitions focussed on masters such as Turner, Rodin, Freud and DalÃ, as well as providing a venue for recitals, workshops, readings, conferences and interactive exhibitions, to name just a few of its varied activities. Over the years much of Barcelona's culture and social calendar has come to revolve around this centre of La Caixa's Community Projects.

Catalan National Art Museum is located in an impressive palace, which overlooks the fountains of Montjuic. Here, Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance artworks spanning a period of 700 years up to the 1700s are on display,as well as artworks from the late 1800s and the early 1900s. These are, in the main, of Catalan origin. The history of Catalan art from the Romanesque period to the mid-twentieth century is also described. This is a fascinating and very comprehensive museum, although one should set aside some time to see all that it has to offer. Sculptures, paintings, objets d'art, drawings, engravings, posters, photographs and coinage are all here, covering everything from Modernisme, to Noucentisme and the Avant-garde.

The Joan MirÃ³ Foundation is a firm favourite amongst Barcelona's museums. This truly is a must-see on the itinerary of a visitor to the city. The interior was designed by Josep LluÃs Sert. It succeeds in achieving what it set out to do; that is, create a haven of tranquility and contemplation. This is done through bright and open areas which give a sense of space. The building was set amongst trees, through which one can catch an amazing view of this beautiful city. MirÃ³ was particularly fascinated by the many and varied materials, forms and colours which one could use to create things of beauty. He painted, sculpted, and printed, as well as creating ceramics and tapestries, all in the name of discovery and experimentation. He was also heavily involved in theatre.

About the Author

Christine Brookes writes for various travel journals and websites including Hotel Reservations Global where great deals for hotels in Barcelona can be selected from a range of hotels in Spain.
Joan Brooks -World WW II Song: What a Diff'rence a Day Made (CUANDO VUELVA A TU LADO)