Gustave Courbet and Realism at MNAC Barcelona

The French Painter Gustave Courbet rocked the art world in the 19th century. Through his brush, reality entered painting: Realism was born.

With the aim of tracing his footsteps in our country, Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) is exhibiting, until July 10th, a selection of his most outstanding works, most of which are being shown in Spain for the first time. The exhibition reveals Courbet’s influence on Catalan painting in the period, most of all through the work of Ramon Martí Alsina, the man responsible for the renewal of painting and who introduced Realism to the Spanish art scene.

It is an ambitious exhibition, produced by the MNAC, that invites the public to gain greater in-depth knowledge of Realism and at the same time discover its precedents and its legacy, in a show that deliberately goes beyond the temporal limits of this movement:  from the Spanish Golden Age, with paintings by Murillo, Ribera and Velázquez, to contemporary art, through the work of Antoni Tàpies, one of the most universal Catalan artists.

U232 Hotel offers you an Art Weekend in Barcelona, a special package including accommodation at our 4 star hotel, with a welcome drink and breakfast, and the Barcelona Art Ticket which entitles to visit the 7 largest museums of Barcelona: MNAC, MACBA, Museu Picasso, Fundació Joan Miró, La Pedrera, Fundació Antoni Tàpies and CCCB.

Terres Blaves – Blue Lands exhibition at Barcelona Ceramic Museum

The Barcelona Ceramic Museum is holding an exhibition entitled ‘Terres blaves‘ – Blue Lands about blue, a primary colour with over 110 shades that, since 2600 BC, has been closely associated with the history of ceramics in the Middle East (Mesopotamia and Egypt).

It was introduced to China during the 8th century through the Silk Route and it reached Al-Andalus by sea in the 13th century. Eventually it spread throughout Europe from the Iberian peninsula. The exhibition introduces the works of contemporary artists who have been fascinated by this colour’s rich range of shades and effects and who have exploited all its possibilities to adapt them to their own artistic languages.

Terres blaves is an exhibition in appreciation and recognition of Trinidad Sánchez-Pacheco (1931-2001) for her lifelong dedication to pottery, on the tenth anniversary of her death. The exhibition consists of works Piccasso, Braque, Miro and Gardy-Artigas, ceramists and professionally linked with Sanchez-Pacheco like Maria Bofill, Antoni Cumella, Madola, Rosa Amoros and others.

Museu de Ceràmica -> Av Diagonal, 686 | Les Corts
Thursdays to Fridaysfrom 10h to 18h | Sundays & Holidays from 10h to 15h

Museu Picasso’s Knowledge and Research Centre

With the smell of fresh paint in the air and the future library’s shelves still empty, the Museu Picasso has presented its Knowledge and Research Centre, a new building located just next to the medieval mansions that have, until now, housed the museum’s activities.

The building, which received funding to the tune of €6.7 million, will open soon but gradually, with school activities the first to move there and then the library and archives, which will be on the second floor.

The first floor of the centre, designed by the architect Jordi Garcés, will have a series of four multipurpose spaces intended for workshops, talks, seminars and master’s-degree courses. The basement will have facilities and storage spaces for non-artistic objects, among other things.

Thanks to the new building the Museu Picasso will now have 13.000 square metres at its disposal. The plan is to re-organise the spaces freed up with the launch of the new centre.

In addition, the museum will gain a new entrance on Plaça de Jaume Sabartés, though the ticket offices will not be moved from their current location for the time being. This will help to reduce crowding on Carrer de Montcada.

Location -> c/ Montcada 15-23

In favor of sharks, a sea of hope

The exhibition In favor of sharks, a sea of hope is produced by CRAM (Foundation for the Preservation and Recovery of Marine Animals) and with the collaboration of the Fundación Biodiversidad.

Near Hotel Barcelona Universal, Maritime Museum is a must on all Barcelona visits. Located at Drassanes, the former Royal Shipyard built during the 13th century, joins the view of one of the few the Middle Age Shipyards of Europe with a modern and high-end museum about oceans and sealife.

The exhibition is divided into four sections: Sharks as beautiful animals, Sharks as victims and not as enemies, The importance of sharks as a renewable resource and ecosystem, and Actions being undertaken to conservation.

The exhibition includes life-size replicas of sharks, high quality images and audiovisual resources. This initiative aims to change public perception about sharks and raise awareness about the value and fragility of marine biodiversity.

Secrets of Egypt in Barcelona

The Egyptian Museum of Barcelona is unique in Spain.

It has a monographic collection on Ancient Egypt that is one of the best in Europe. It has around one thousand exhibits on show that give a good idea of the life and customs of one of Egypt’s most ancient civilizations.

The exhibition displays a series of works noted for their historical importance, their archaeological context or the uniqueness of their ancient owners. Such is the case of a series of stone items that belonged to Colonel A.E.S. Irvine, who was the personal doctor of Princess Mary of England.

Mention should be made of one part of the exhibition, the museum’s bibliographic collection. And the curiosity of being able to see Girault de Prangey‘s (1843) and Jules Itier‘s (1846) daguerreotypes, which are the oldest photographic records that exist in their original format.

You will also be able to see over a hundred archaeological items linked to daily life in Egypt (jewels, cosmetics, stone and ceramic cups). The more notable items include a massive gold ring bearing the name of Queen Nefertiti, wife of the famous Pharaoh Akhenaton, and a representation of a divinity with a human body and falcon’s head. They make up part of the funeral accessories’ collection that include masks used for covering the faces of the dead and Canopic vases designed to hold body organs removed during the mummification process.

Museu Egipci de Barcelona
València, 284 – 08007 Barcelona
<M> Diagonal
www.museuegipci.com

Opening times:
Mon – Sat:10am – 8pm
Sun: 10am – 2pm

Free activities in Barcelona during summer!

Whatever you’re into, you can enjoy summer to the full in Barcelona! Even if you’re on a budget, there are many free activities this August.

Outdoor cinema buffs can head to the CCCB in the Raval for the annual “Gandules” cycle, which this year complements the contemporary culture centre’s intriguing exhibition on labyrinths.

Films such as Jean-Luc Godard’s Alphaville or David Lynch’s Lost Highway are screened from Tuesday to Thursday at 10pm. Get there early to grab a sandwich and a seat.

For the ideal combination of art and air conditioning, check out one of the many free exhibition centres in town. They include the Caja Madrid Espai Cultural in Plaça Catalunya, Gaudi’s Pedrera, and Palau Robert on Passeig de Gràcia, which takes you on a tour of the Mediterranean. Caixa Forum on Montjuic explores the work of internationally renowned Majorcan artist Miquel Barceló.

What’s more, other museums and galleries waive their entry charge on Sunday afternoons, including the Picasso and the nearby Design museums in the Born, or the CCCB and the Virreina photography space in the centre.

For those that prefer to be outdoors, the many lovely parks in the city offer a shady haven from the heat, and a very special experience at night, set the scene for free concerts in classical music, jazz and sarsuela.

And if you’re in party spirits don’t miss the lively and colourful street celebrations in Gràcia, in the third week of August, and Sants in the last week, with their extravagant street decorations and live bands in the evenings.

Courbet exhibition at Museu Diocesa

Paintings, drawings, engravings, photographs, documents and personal objects. In all, there are 100 items in “Courbet, between Nature and Culture”, the first major exhibition in Spain dedicated to the father of realism: Gustave Courbet.

Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet (1819 – 1877) was a French painter  who led the Realist movement in 19th-century French painting. Courbet occupies an important place in 19th century French painting as an innovator and as an artist willing to make bold social commentary in his work.

You can visit this exhibition at Museu Diocesa. It offers an all-round view of Courbet’s character, both as an artist and a democratic activist. It also highlights his relationship with Catalonia and Spain, and the influence his ideas had on other artists, like Picasso and Miró.

The exhibition features masterpieces such as “Le Chateau de Chillon” or “Portrait d’homme d’apres Velazquez” and many landscapes of Normandy.

Where: Museu Diocesa
Av. Catedral, 4 (next to the Cathedral)
When: Until September 5th, 2010.

Loop Barcelona. Videoart Festival

For eleven days, Barcelona will be the great international showcase of video art. Loop Barcelona – now in its 8th year – hosts its most extensive programme ever, featuring over one thousand videos in some hundred venues located throughout the city. 

In a restaurant, in a bookshop and even in a flat specially rented for the occasion, video art comes to the whole city for eleven days of Loop Barcelona, the most important international event in visual creation in existence.

Artists presenting works include Michael Snow, Perejaume, John Baldessari, Miquel Barceló, Isabel Coixet, Eulàlia Valldosera and Bill Viola.

Among the videoforums that have been prepared, you might find yourself inspired by a meeting with film director Hannah Collins, who has a joint project with Ferran Adrià, or by seeing what television arts presenter Jef Cornelis has to say.

You can also see Miquel Barceló’s live creation of a piece of art at the Museu de Ceràmica de Barcelona.

More inf@: Loop Barcelona

Free Museum Night in Barcelona

Museum Night is back for another year. So, this Saturday, 15 May, from 7 pm until 1 am, forty museums and exhibition centres will be open for free. The Museum Night programme for this year has been organised around six areas of the city, each area groups together several centres and museums that are close to each other. The first runs from Montjuïc to Hospitalet, the second from Eixample to Gràcia, the third from the Barri Gòtic to the sea, the fourth from Raval to the port, the fifth covers Badalona, Glòries and Ciutadella, and the sixth Pedralbes, Esplugues and Cornellà.

Among eleven new centres and museums that are to open their collections and temporary exhibitions to the public for the night are Arts Santa Mònica, the Museu Agbar de les Aigües, the Centre Cultural Metropolità Tecla Sala, the Museu Can Tinturé and the Museu Egipci de Barcelona.

This is not all Museum Night has to offer because special activities are being organised, such as concerts, magic shows, dance, theatre, guided tours, storytelling, talks and poetry (coinciding with Poetry Week).

These activities are aimed at everybody and include the farewell party at the Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona, a way of celebrating the start of a new era at its future home in the “Blue Building” at the Forum.

Another event open to everyone is a joint activity involving all the centres and museums at the same time. It is a flash mob which requires everyone to remain quiet for three minutes from midnight.

B-Days: Discover Barcelona at incredible rates

Planning a visit to Barcelona? Check out our calendar and take advantatge of B-Days: the new incredible promotion at B-Hotel. For only 65€ per night, stay in one of our B-Rooms.

 Seamlessly blending avant-garde style with ultimate functionality, B-Rooms are equipped with the latest technologies and electronic devices; they also feature high design furnishings, minimalist decor, total luxury and excellent services, such as free Wi-Fi, natural lighting, and king size beds or two singles. Cots are also available.

B-Hotel in Plaza Espanya is a perfect place to stay when visiting Barcelona; it’s just ten minutes from La Rambla and Plaza Catalunya, as well as all the museums on Montjuïc. Its ideal location, in one of Barcelona’s most exciting areas, and just steps away from Fira de Barcelona fairgrounds, has made B-Hotel a key landmark during business meetings and trade conventions.

Click here and check out our B-Days calendar

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