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It is free access. In La Vanguardia Readers' Photos we offer today the clues to discover the permanent public art museum of works by Josep Maria Subirachs in the streets and squares of Barcelona.
The sculptural group of the Passion façade of the Sagrada Familia (very controversial at the time) is, probably, the most emblematic work of the brilliant sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs, on which he was working between 1987 and 2009.
The Passion façade is the most terrifying in the Sagrada Familia. Antoni Gaudí conceived this façade with the idea of conveying the fear and cruelty of Jesus' sacrifice "according to the divine way."
The sculptural decoration of the façade of the Passion of the Sagrada Familia was commissioned in 1986 to Subirachs, an already renowned sculptor who decided to leave his mark through a simple and schematic set of figures with a powerful dramatic effect.
Finally, in 2018 the last sculptures were placed, thus finishing the façade after more than 22 years of work.
Gaudí conceived this façade with the idea of conveying the fear and cruelty of Jesus' sacrifice. The sobriety of the façade is manifested by the presence of columns in the shape of bones and takes on greater dimension thanks to the sculptures full of drama and expressiveness made by Josep Maria Subirachs.
To interpret the message of the death and resurrection of Christ, it is essential to look at the sculptures located in the portal and proposed by José María Subirachs, where the scenes of the Passion are read in the shape of an inverted "S", ascending from left to right. . They represent the Way of Jesus' Calvary, from the Last Supper, to the burial, and finally the ascension. The sculptural cycle of the Passion is made up of three levels according to their visual arrangement.
It contains all the scenes corresponding to the last night of Jesus Christ and before his crucifixion. Among them are represented: the last supper of Jesus and the Apostles, Peter and the soldiers, (where the soldiers' helmets evoke the characteristic chimneys of La Pedrera, a tribute by Subirachs to this popular work by Antoni Gaudí,) the kiss of Judas, denial of Peter, Ecce Homo, (lacerated, broken, pitiful-looking person) and the Judgment of Christ.
This level represents the Calvary of Jesus after his trial and in this case the chronological order of events begins on the right side. We found the following sculptures:
The three Marys and Simon of Cyrene, the figure of Veronica, who holds a cloth with which she dried the sweat of Jesus Christ. A curious fact about this scene is that in the background you can see an evangelist with the physiognomy of Antoni Gaudí, the centurion who wounded the right side of Jesus Christ with a spear.
The last row of sculptures depicts the death and burial of Jesus Christ. It is read from left to right, just as it was on the lower level.
Soldiers playing dice, the clothes of Jesus, the crucifixion, this is the main scene of the porch and that is why we find it clearly visible in the center, a symbol of the INRI and finally the burial. As a curiosity, the image of Nicodemus is actually a self-portrait by the sculptor Subirachs.
The four towers of the Passion façade are dedicated to the apostles James the Less, Saint Thomas, Saint Philip and Saint Bartholomew. All of them are decorated with a large statue, the work of Subirachs.
Between the two central towers, there is a bridge that joins them, there is a bronze sculpture that represents the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven. Looking down just a little we can see an abstract sculpture by Subirachs inspired by a dove, which symbolizes the Holy Spirit and refers to the resurrection of Christ.
The Monument to the members and clubs of Barça (1999) is located in the old Masia del Barça, on Avinguda Joan XXIII. It cannot be visited due to the renovation works on the Estadi at the moment.
Coinciding with its centenary, FC Barcelona dedicated a monument to its members and clubs. Subirachs created a simple monument representative of his style. Above a concrete stem-shaped column, oxidized with copper sulfate, the letters FCB are combined in iron.
A square marble plaque contains the dedication to highlight that the most representative club in Catalonia owes its greatness to the impetus given to it by individual members, fan clubs and sympathizers. Such an emblematic place should be directly related to the history of Barça.
I invite you to follow the route of sculptures by Josep Maria Subirachs that occupy public space in Barcelona with the mural located in the lobby of the Diagonal metro station L3 - L5.
It is a mural also called Diagonal, made of polychrome concrete that reproduces, in a stylized way, a perspective of Barcelona that goes from the port to the upper area of Diagonal Avenue, referring to the urban development of the city of Barcelona.
The monument honoring the inventor of the submarine Narcís Monturiol, 1963, is located on Avenida Diagonal at the intersection with Calle Girona in Barcelona.
A precedent of the new figuration stage was the monument to Narcís Monturiol. It was the first of a long series of commemorative works carried out by Subirachs throughout Catalonia.
The project was commissioned by Mutua Metalúrgica de Seguros, as a tribute to Narcís Monturiol to the sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs.
It consists of a 4.20 meter high concrete block to hold, in a hole, the copper reproduction of the Ictíneo submarine (a copy of the original at a 1:17 scale), it was a submersible or submarine built by the Spanish inventor Narcís Monturiol between 1858 and 1859.
The ship, with capacity for a crew of five people, measured 7 m in length, 2.5 in width and 3.5 in draft. The purpose of the initial submarine was to facilitate coral fishing.
The concrete on its two large surfaces is worked with regular marks. On another block, also made of stone, there is the inscription: Barcelona to Narcís Monturiol, inventor of the "Ictíneo", the first submarine that sailed submerged in the port of Barcelona on June 28, 1859. The work announced the stage called the new reality figurative
Tables of the Law (1959) is a work that can be seen at the main entrance of the Faculty of Law of the University of Barcelona.
The mural is located above the main door. The sculptor made the work in collaboration with the ceramist Antoni Cumella, in 1959, in bronze, whose measurements are 119 x 80 x 7 cm. It is perfectly integrated into the building.
If you approach the UB Law Faculty building on Av. Diagonal, 684, you will be able to see above the main door this magnificent reinterpretation of the tables of the law.
The mural evokes two dialogue figures full of symbols, in different numbering systems, where signs of communication were introduced for the first time, in this case, Roman figures that represent the numbers that head the legal text of Moses. If you have time, you can search for the mysticism of the work, and discover how many Roman figures appear in the relief.
The Faculty of Law is part of the Catalog of the architectural and historical-artistic heritage of Barcelona.
Monument to Francesc Macià (1991. Bronze, iron, concrete and travertine. Dimensions 900 x 370 x 830 cm) is the last of the sculptures in the streets of Barcelona that I propose. It is located in the commercial center of the city, at the southern end of Plaza de Catalunya.
It is a tribute to the man who was president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, between 1931 and 1933, known as l'Avi Macià (Grandfather Macià). This sculpture, made of travertine, concrete, iron and bronze, measures more than 9 meters high and was created in 1991 by Josep Maria Subirachs.
The pedestal of the sculpture, made of travertine with a succession of stone blocks, represents the history of Catalonia. The upper part, made of concrete, is in the shape of an inverted staircase, of which the first three steps, embedded in the pedestal, represent the three years of President Macià's government, while the rest, which end abruptly and unfinished, They symbolize the future of the country, which is being built day by day.
On the front side you can read names of people, dates and places related to the career of Francesc Macià, engraved in an informal way to give it a graffiti character, while on the upper part the dedication "Catalonia to Francesc" is engraved in large letters. Macia".
On the back is the shield of Catalonia, made of iron, and a phrase by Macià addressed to the Catalan deputies is engraved: "This is how you have to want Catalonia, as I have promised the people so many times: politically free, socially just, economically prosperous and spiritually glorious.
During the last years of his life, the artist proposed that his work be exhibited in a permanent space, accessible to the general public, and thus he dedicated himself to putting in order the pieces that he had made and kept over the years.
The family made the decision to carry out the project and found a good reception in the artist's neighborhood of origin. Thus his wish to be rediscovered in his place of origin was fulfilled. Very close to his birthplace and his school, since May 26, 2017, a hundred of the more than 500 works that he bequeathed to the family have been on display.
The Espai Subirachs is located in a premises of about 300 square meters located on the small Batista street at number 6 in Barcelona. I recommend that you visit it if possible.
As a comment I will tell you, I believe that Josep Maria Subirachs is "the great unknown" for a large number of citizens who circulate daily on public roads, coming to consider his sculptures as invisible in the public spaces of the city.
In each of the six urban sculptures that are included in this report, I have asked citizens of all ages, when they circulated on public roads, next to the sculptures; Did you like the sculpture, who is the sculptor, the name of the sculpture or mural? And the answers were, he doesn't know, he doesn't answer.
On the Passion façade of the Sagrada Familia, many visitors to the temple attribute the sculptural and symbolic part to the architect Antonio Gaudí.
In the monument to the members and clubs of Barça, due to the remodeling works of the Estadi, the sculpture could not be accessed, it can only be seen from a distance, and the answers were, "I didn't know."
In the lobby of the Diagonal-Rambla Catalunya metro (L3, L5), the majority had not seen the mural and did not know the author.
The Tables of the Law, located at the main entrance of the Faculty of Law of the University of Barcelona, 1st and 2nd year students, had not seen the mural and the sculptor's number rang out to them.
At the monument to Francesc Macià in Plaza Catalunya, the number of tour guides who passed in front of the sculpture without stopping is striking.
Subirachs is part of a generation of artists who made great contributions to art, therefore, we must rediscover this generation again. It can be considered the reverse of Gaudí.
