I see Barcelona as a cyclothymic city. With this medical term I want to indicate that you suffer from recurrent ups and downs in your mood. We are a city that periodically questions itself, with a high level of demand and a critical spirit that I have not found in other European capitals. Our self-esteem goes through cycles of euphoria that project us internationally as one of the best places to live, to then enter somewhat depressive phases that, in reality, do not correspond to the perception they have of us in the world. Perhaps one of our problems is that we compare ourselves with capitals that play in another league, like London or Paris. And it makes us frustrated.
On an artistic level, if we read our reality with an optimistic spirit, we can see that interesting things happen in the city that give us our own personality. Just arrived after two weeks in London, on Monday of last week I attended the suggestive rearrangement of the collection proposed by its new director, Elvira Dyangani Ose, leaving aside the chronological criteria. The feeling is that the museum is once again on the right track and the necessary expansion is on track. On Tuesday I attended the presentation of a spectacular project, CaixaForum, the La Caixa Foundation's digital content platform that many have already baptized as a Netflix of culture. At night, a collectors' dinner at the Círculo Ecuestre at the opening of By Invitation, the boutique fair led by Enrique Lacalle where you can find unique works by great authors. On Wednesday I stopped by the Picasso Museum, which is presenting an exceptional exhibition co-produced with the Center Pompidou in Paris on the art dealer and publisher Daniel-Henri Kahnweiler. Taking a look at the galleries and the other museums, it can be seen that there is a very good artistic offer.
What cannot be denied is that our city is at an impasse. After a few years of strong political conflict due to the procés and a harsh pandemic, Barcelona has key elections in a few months that will allow us to determine whether it wants to continue with the current model or, on the contrary, build a new municipal order. Projects as relevant as the America's Cup shine on the horizon, which will once again project us to the world.
