Antoni Gaudí / 5.03-3.07.2022
Antoni Gaudí is one of the most outstanding, well-known and admired figures in the history of art. A brilliant architect, a visionary, an "architectural wizard". His modernistic, borderline revolutionary architectural concepts and exceptional talent stirred, and continue to do so, huge emotions. The exhibition will showcase approx. 150 museum pieces (plans, models, drawings, sculptures, furniture, architectural elements, ceramics, photographs, video, mapping), from Spanish public and private collections.
This is the first such a comprehensive presentation of the Spanish architect's achievements in Poland and the largest one in Europe. Join us for a walk through Gaudí's astonishing world: from the La Obrera Mataronense cooperative project, through the Güell Palace and the Calvet, Batlló and Milà houses, to the Sagrada Família, his most famous work.
the curator: Charo Sanjuán Gómez
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Organisers: ZAMEK Culture Centre in Poznań, City of Poznań, Aurea Cultura
and Art
Honorary patronage: Embassy of Spain in Poland, Mayor of the City of
Poznań,
Exhibition partners: Veolia, NH Poznań
Media patrons: RMF Classic, Anywhere, WTK, epoznan.pl, Radio Afera, Onet
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Graphics with the visual identification of the exhibition. On a yellow and
orange background, in the very centre, there is the outline of one of Gaudí's
most famous projects: Sagrada Familia. On it
- a large white inscription: Gaudí. The name of the architect is
inscribed on the crowning of one of the towers. On the right, there are the
dates of the exhibition, and on the side on the left - the name of the author
of the identification, Ewa Hejnowicz.
© Foundation Junta Constructora del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família / Pep Daudé
Accompanying programme
The accompanying programme of the "Antoni Gaudí" exhibition is
based on four theme-based modules. In each of them, we wish to draw attention
to a different aspect of this artist's work, thus enabling a wide audience to
have an in-depth experience with his works. These blocks are based on expert
and popular science lectures accompanying the exhibition. In addition to the
conventional-style meetings, we offer the opportunity to participate in
workshops and sightseeing tours.
The accompanying programme
is mainly focused on introducing the idea of the exhibition and the uniqueness
of Gaudí's art. We go beyond the descriptions of the exhibition and set it in
the wider context of European culture, art and architecture. We study the
contexts of Gaudí's work and the questions and doubts that may arise. We
explore the phenomenon of Barcelona: the city where Gaudí used to work, and the
historical sources of his inspiration. And finally, we look at the artist's
contemporary legacy and what we can learn from him today.
MODULES:
1/ What was the world Gaudí used to create in? / 5 March.–7 April
The first theme of the programme is primarily devoted to the context of Gaudí's
work. To look at the work of one of the greatest architects of the 20th
century, one also has to take a look at other designers and their concepts for
the urban development of the city, as well as Catalonia and the cultural
conflicts that took place in that region. This will give us a starting point to
talk about Gaudí's timelessness as an artist.
2/ Architecture and urban planning / 8 April - 28 April
The fundamental architectural theme of the exhibition will be extended with
several aspects. During the first of the meetings of this module, we will learn
more about Gaudí as a designer of the utilitarian forms. The second meeting the
participants will get to know the architect Stanislaw Niemczyk, known as the
'Polish Gaudí', which will help to explore the search for the idea of sacrum in
architecture. Accompanying exhibition in the Great Hall, entitled "Zamek
Project", presenting design drawings of the building that houses the ZAMEK
Culture Centre, will in turn be a local reference to the Gaudí-related objects
shown at the main exhibition.
3/ Organic inspirations / 29 April -8 June
This module aims to reflect the similarities between the creations of nature
and the ideas of architects. We'll be talking about spider webs, termite nests,
snail shells and oracles and many other things. The world of organic
inspiration will also be brought closer by an accompanying exhibition in the
Grand Hall of the Castle: "The essence of beauty" (30 April-3
July). It will help you see the links between art and nature, while bringing
you closer to the richness of nature's forms and colours.
4/ Barcelona: the city - the myth / 9 June -3 July
The last module revolves around Catalonia, Barcelona and, more
generally, the urban space treated as a tourist object. The moment when
buildings and entire urban landscapes cease to be spaces used mainly by
inhabitants and become tourist spaces is a huge challenge for modern cities.
One speaks of Barcelona as a mythical city, but also as a victim of its own
success. In this module, we are going to take full advantage of the summer
season by going out into green urban spaces and looking at them from the
perspective of Gaudí - the park designer. We will also touch upon contemporary
tensions between Catalonia and Spain.
Accompanying exhibitions
"Zamek Project"
23 February - 27 April The Grand Hall
free access
The concept of building the residence for the emperor Wilhelm II in Poznań came
to fruition in 1910. Since imperial times this Neo-Romanesque castle has
changed hands several times and over the decades it has been filled with new
functions, structural transformations, is formal and symbolical dimension, both
in reality and in the world of imagination. Architectural drawings and models
are a record of these changes. Past and yet completely up-to-date. Conceptual
sketches, construction and execution drawings, inventories, functional
diagrams, visualisations. Painted in watercolour, drawn with a pen, drawn on
tracing paper, made of plaster, rendered in 3D programmes. The selection of
projects shown at the exhibition is an opportunity to see the work of
generations of architects, and to understand what was expected of a castle in
the past and what we expect of it nowadays.
The curator: Maria Fenrych
The arrangement: Maria Fenrych, Wojciech Luchowski
Contextual consultation: Janusz Pazder, Maciej Szymaniak
Graphics: Ewa Hejnowicz
"The essence of beauty "
30 April -3 July The Grand Hall
free access
The aim of the exhibition is to show the connections between the world of nature and art. The presented photographs of insects, both from Poland and from around the world, give us an opportunity to fully appreciate the unusual creations of nature. The colours, forms and shapes of nature became a source of inspiration for artists and architects. There are two approaches to the exhibition. One aspect is simply taking the aesthetic pleasure from admiring these astonishing photographs. Reading the extended descriptions, on the other hand, will broaden your knowledge of the beautiful creatures presented and of the artistic contexts in which they may appear. These interdisciplinary texts were prepared jointly by a biologist and an art historian.
Curator: Agata Miatkowska-Gołdyn
Photographs: Bogusław Daraż
The concept, descriptions and artistic supervision: dr hab. Rafał Bernard
(nature themes) of the UAM (Adam Mickiewicz University), Dr Agata
Miatkowska-Gołdyn and Dr Dorota Żaglewska (art themes)
Ceramic workshops
conducted by: Dorota Piekarczyk
"Gaudí's Lizards" - workshops
for children 7-11 years old
12 March (1st meeting), 19 March (2nd meeting)
at 3 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. Ceramics and Sculpture Studio, Room 21
Tickets: £35
We will visit the exhibition as part of the workshop to see Gaudí's works, make
sketches and drawings. We will then mould the famous lizard figures to cover
them with colourful glazes in the next class. The children's work will dry out
and then will be fired in a ceramic kiln. During the second meeting, we will
prepare colour designs of the figures. We will cover the lizards with colourful
glazes. The projects will be re-fired and distributed to the participants.
"Tile composition" - workshop for children 12-15 years old
2 April (1st meeting), 9 April (2nd meeting)
at 4 p.m.- 6.30 p.m. Ceramics and Sculpture Studio, Room 21
Tickets: £35
We will visit the exhibition as part of the workshop to see Gaudí's works, make
sketches and drawings. We will design a decorative tile inspired by the ones
Gaudí used to make, then make one ourselves from clay. The projects will dry
out and then will be fired in a ceramic kiln. During the second meeting, we
will prepare colour designs of the tiles. We will cover them with colourful
glazes. The projects will be re-fired and distributed to the participants.
"Gaudí's Mosaic" - workshop for people above 16
7 May (1st Meeting), 14 May (2nd
meeting), 21 May (3rd meeting )
at 4 p.m. - 7.30 p.m. Ceramics and
Sculpture Studio, Room 21
Tickets: PLN 35
4 June (1st Meeting), 11 June (2nd meeting), 18 June (3rd meeting )
at 4 p.m. - 7.30 p.m. Ceramics and
Sculpture Studio, Room 21
Tickets: PLN 35
Lectures and meetings
17 March at 6.30 p.m., the Balcony Hall / free entry
Maciej Szymaniak: "Architecture and urbanism of Barcelona: what was the
context in which Gaudí used to create?"
At the turn of the 20th century, Barcelona was a dynamically changing and
expanding urban organism, designed, rebuilt and decorated by the greatest
architects and artists of the era. To better understand Gaudí's work, we will
look at the urban framework within which he created, starting with Ildefons
Cerda's urban redevelopment plan. We will also place Gaudí's work in the
context of the works created by his contemporaries, such as Josep Puig and
Cadafalch or Lluís Domènech and Montaner. We will look at how differently they
drew on the same ideological and stylistic influences to create their own variations
of what we call Art Nouveau, Neo-Gothic or Modernism.
24 March at 6.30 p.m., the Balcony hall / free entry
Prof. Alfonso Gregori: "Catalonia in Gaudí's time: modernisation, crisis
of Spanishness and social conflicts "
During the lecture, we will cover the
political, social and cultural situation in Catalonia from the second half of
the 19th century until the 1920s, the period in which Antoni Gaudí lived and
worked. The modernisation project undertaken by the Catalan bourgeoisie, the
crisis of Spanishness as a patriotic feature legitimising the integration of
areas with different cultures and languages, and the most significant conflicts
manifested in different areas of social life in Catalonia and Spain will be
discussed. The main aim of the lecture is to show the close relationship
between the work of the famous architect and the events that took place in his
time.
31 March at 6.30 p.m., the Balcony Hall / free entry
Dr Witold Burkiewicz: "Gaudí's architectural masterpieces - timeless
beauty"
The meeting will focus on three of Antonio Gaudí y Cornet's most eminent
creations, built in the Ensanche area of
Barcelona based on the Cerdá Plan of 1859: Casa Calvet, Casa Batllo y La
Pedrera (Casa Mila), These are examples of Nature-inspired beauty, both the
rational and the timeless one.
7 April at 6.30 p.m., the Balcony hall / free entry
Prof. Barbara Łuczak: "Three approaches to Catalan literature"
During the lecture we will present a general panorama of the history of Catalan
literature and reflect on the specific features of its development. We will
focus on three particularly important moments in the history of this
literature: the Middle Ages, a time of spectacular heyday, the period of
modernism at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the era in which Antoni
Gaudí lived and worked, and the second half of the last century. Discussing
this topic will also provide an opportunity to include selected translations of
Catalan literature into Polish.
21 April at 6.30 p.m., the Balcony Hall / free entry
Maciej Szymaniak: "Antoni Gaudí - the designer of functional art
forms"
Gaudí - the architect is one of the most well-known European artists of the
turn of the 19th and 20th century. And Gaudí - the designer? Was he an original
visionary in this area, or did he fit in perfectly with the European trends of
his era? During the lecture, we will look at the functional art forms designed
by Gaudí and then compare them with the similar phenomena in our continent.
28 April at 6.30 p.m., the Cinema Hall / free entry
A meeting about the film
"Niemczyk - the last architectural rebel"
The film "Niemczyk - the last architectural rebel" is devoted to
Stanisław Niemczyk, the creator of extraordinary churches, an architect who
earned himself the title of "Polish Gaudím". Along with the screening
in the Palace Cinema, there will be a meeting with representatives of the
"Architecture of the 7th Day" project. This unique publication is a
comprehensive compendium of knowledge and analysis on the architecture of
Polish churches built after 1945. In an officially unfavourable political
system, more than 3,700 religious buildings, often very daring in style, were
built, and the scale and form of the phenomenon is a worldwide rarity.
7 May at 11 a.m., the Audiovisual Hall / free entry
Dr hab., prof. Rafał Bernard of the
UAM: 'Reading beauty - dragonflies and their insect relatives'
The beauty of nature has always attracted every human being, eliciting the
sensations of the highest level and inspiring creativity. We would like to
invite you to embark on a journey into the world of beautiful creatures -
dragonflies and their insect relatives. The world of colours and forms, all
beautiful on their own, but also because of the purpose they serve. This charming,
sensible combination of both is the essence of their beauty.
14 May, at 4 p.m., the Balcony Hall / free entry
Agata Miatkowska-Gołdyn: "Nature (in) the Castle" - a walk
A walk in the spaces of the Castle gives us the opportunity to discover the
threads of living nature in the stone and wooden interiors. Insects, plants,
animals in realistic or symbolic form are references to the world of fields,
forests and meadows. Why were they in the Castle, and why did they take these
forms? The tour is led by the castle guide.
14 May at 17, the Balcony Hall / free entry
Dr hab. Bartłomiej Gołdyn: "The world of shells and their residents"
Molluscs and their shells have always inspired the human imagination. The
lecture will answer questions such as: to what extent are the
"architectural" inventions of molluscs comparable to what we can see
in our buildings? How much diversity of adaptations is there in shell
morphology of molluscs found in different environments, and what evolutionary
sense is hidden behind them?
Dr Jacek Wendzonka: "Architecture on six legs"
Insect societies have emerged through evolution several times and autonomously.
Each group of insect societies has different patents for creating different
types of structures and buildings. Their main purpose is to ensure safety,
protect stocks or improve living conditions. From simple corridors and chambers
in the ground, to large anthills and hornet nests, to ventilated termites the
height of houses. A history of the wax, paper and organic cement application.
21 May at 4 p.m., the Balcony Hall / free entry
Agata Miatkowska-Gołdyn: "Nature (in) the Castle" - a walk
A walk in the spaces of the Castle gives us the opportunity to discover the
threads of living nature in the stone and wooden interiors. Insects, plants,
animals in realistic or symbolic form are references to the world of fields,
forests and meadows. Why were they in the Castle, and why did they take these
forms? The tour is led by the castle guide.
21 May at 5 p.m., the Balcony Hall / free entry
Dr hab., prof. Paweł Szymkowiak of
the UAM (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań): "Through the prism of a
spider's web "
During the lecture, the audience will be able to learn about the possibilities
that nature has given to spiders by
equipping them with a very precise mechanism of spinning, i.e. the production
of threads used by these animals to create hunting webs, cocoons, enabling the
process of reproduction, moulting and passive air dispersion (ballooning). The
presentation will include the examples of different species of spiders and the
spatial constructions that these animals can create. Also, you will be able to
learn about the species that spins the world's most durable hunting net, the
durability and strength of which surpasses the most physically resistant
synthetic materials invented by man. The lecture will also include references
to the yarn formation system and the biochemical and physical properties of
this unique natural biomaterial. Another extremely important issue is the
options of using spider silk in various aspects of human activity. Therefore,
the discussion will also cover the issues relating to the use of yarn in
medicine, textiles, pharmacology and the cosmetics industry. The author will
also address the issue of imitating nature in human life.
Dr Wiktoria Szydło: "A living house on a leaf, or plant
outgrowths"
Many insects know how to build nests or houses for themselves from different
kinds of materials. Some insects and mites have gone a step further - the
building blocks of their homes are living plant tissue. Surprising fangs,
intriguing protuberances and tiny apples on the surface of the leaves - this is
what these habitable structures, known as outgrowths, can look like. The plant
produces them in response to a signal caused by insects and mites feeding or
laying eggs. The plant, through its outgrowths, provides nutrients for its
tenants in addition to its 'shelter' function. This is a fascinating example of
the animals manipulating the plant architecture. During the lecture, we will
view examples of outgrowths that can be commonly observed and learn more about
how they are formed.
9 June at 6.30, online lecture
Kalina Błażejewska: "Why does Catalonia want independence?"
On 11 September 1924, the day of the Catalan national holiday, 72-year-old
Antoni Gaudí was arrested. It was because he used Catalan in a discussion with
a Spanish policeman, who did not allow him to enter a church for an anniversary
mass. After Gaudí was released, he allegedly told a friend: "They asked me
if I could speak Castilian, and I replied that I could, but I had no desire to
and would not, because of their aggression towards Catalonia". Nearly a
century later, Catalans are still being arrested for showing disobedience to
Spanish authority. We will tell you what their distinctiveness is, the history
of the independence movement and what liberal-left nationalism looks like. And
also how Barcelona, ruled by Catalan opponents of independence, finds itself in
a conflict between the Catalan and Spanish authorities.
23 June at 6.30 p.m., online lecture
Kalina Błażejewska: "The city in the shadow of the Sagrada, or the
troublesome legacy of Gaudí"
Gaudí's extraordinary buildings are both a blessing and a curse for Barcelona.
Shocking at first, over the decades they have become not only a classic of
Catalan modernism, but also a landmark of the city and a true magnet for
tourists. Today, you can't even walk freely in their vicinity, as they are
always surrounded by crowds of visitors. They spend money in the city, but take
away the space, silence and comfort. They fuel property speculation and force
residents to move to the outskirts of the city. How much did Barcelona earn,
and how much did it lose because of Gaudí? How is the local government trying
to fix what mass tourism has damaged? And what would the city be famous for if
it wasn't for the brilliant architect?
Agata Zachariasz: "The public park in the city from a historical and contemporary perspective"
This lecture will focus on the issues such as the 19th century park movement - the element and system, fashions and trends in park design, and Gaudí's masterpiece - the Güell Park. We will also examine the new challenges that contemporary urban parks are facing.
Programme accessibility