Do It Go

Could the Sagrada Familia be any bigger? I just could not take my eyes off this massive church, still under construction and will be for twenty or thirty more years. It is like some dreamy, ephemeral creature has set down in Barcelona, an almost organic intricacy that you just can not take your eyes off. We sat at luxury Barcelona hotels anywhere that had a good view of this astonishing edifice. Designed by Gaudi, the famous artist, the church possess a surreal Gothic Revival style that is absolutely compelling. and in the midst of this and other architectural wonders, parrots. Big green parrots that flew from palm tree to palm tree, reminding you that while you were in Europe and looking at Gothic, say, architecture, it’s just different, like weird, or, if you will, weirder Munich, with green parrots, and warped smash ups ofarchitectural types.

That’s when a guy tried to sell me a parrot. He was sort of dressed up as a parrot, what with a green leather jacket, purple shirt, and white cravat. “This Pierre the parrot. I think he likes you.” Well, what the hell am I going to do with a parrot. This guy should be selling the green leather jacket like the one he had on, and I told him so. “Oh, Senor,” he said, “A parrot is a living thing of beauty, much more valuable.” I had to agree with that, but still, how would I get on theplane back to Toronto. There are no palm trees in Toronto. The CN Tower, but no palms. Maybe Phoenix. Well, apparently he was a magician, because the bird disappeared in a wink behind a flourish of purple silk kerchiefs and marzipan. Then he disappeared too in a burst of red smoke. Just then a parrot landed on my shoulder. “Hello, my name is Pierre,” hesquawked. Looks like I had a parrot.

Tags: Barcelona, Gawdy Gaudi, luxury hotels, Sagrada Familia
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The focus of the Barcelona’s Botanical Gardens is to be of service to the ecosystem and to society.  This particular garden not only showcases some of the most incredible plants of the Mediterranean, but is dedicated to the documentation and conservation of the heritage of the natural world of Catalonia.  This region, and the city of Barcelona in particular, has a long history of botanical traditions, farming and gardening.  Many of the city buildings and five star Barcelona hotels are surrounding by blooming plants year round.  The Botanical Garden’s staff seeks to ensure that these cultural traditions remain.  They provide educational activities for all, from the amateur home gardeners to the scientists that travel to the Garden for lectures and seminars.  Many schools throughout the city take tours and classes throughout the year.  The Garden receives support of the Botanical Institute of Barcelona.  The Garden boasts and large reference library and one of the most extensive collections in their herbarium in all of Catalonia.

The buildings in the gardens were designed by two well known Spanish architects,  Josep Lluis Canosa and Carlos Ferrater.  The genius behind the design for the landscaping was Bet Figueras, and a horticulturalist and a biologist were instrumental as well, Artur Bossy and Joan Pedrola, respectively.  The team had a few aspects to consider, which was the structural layout of the vegetation, and designing that layout to fit withing the mountain that it was being created on.  The result is one of the most incredible gardens in the world.  The winding paths are a perfect way to spend the afternoon.  And the perfect way to be able to see most of the plants of the region, all in one place.  This garden and the research that has been conducted here has influenced all of the cities parks and created a city that is not only one of the most incredible to walk around, but one that has begun to conserve and protect the environment as well.

Tags: Barcelona, Botanical Garden, Catalonia, hotels, spanish architects
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The term ‘culture jamming’ has become the phrase used when describing the ways that artists intervene with commercialism.  The band Negativland is credited for coining the phrase.  One of the local street artists in Barcelona has been ‘culture jamming’ for years.  Jorge Rodriguez Gerada a Cuban born painter has been living in the city and has been adding to the amazing street art scene in many ways, one of which includes the altering of billboards and other forms of public advertisements of Barcelona, Spain.  Hotel walls, and street signs have been painted over by Gerada in an attempt to parody the ads and to change the messages that are conveyed.  Gerada is known as one of founders of this art form, one of the most creative and skilled.

He has been creating a series throughout Barcelona called ‘The Identity Series‘  for almost seven years.  Beginning in 2002, Gerada put large scale charcoal drawings of people on the building walls in various locations throughout the city.  Charcoal will not stand up to the elements but this fact is all part of Gerada’s process and message.  His intention in creating these works that will be destroyed eventually by the wind and the rain, is to convey the message that memory and place are two important components in the establishment of identity.  He wants to question the control enforced through the use of public property.

He questions commercialism and brand name items, and the way in which these companies advertise their brands.  He states that everyone should question those who appear to be choosing the role models and the icons of culture, and to be aware of the manipulation of corporate companies.  He creates his works using models of everyday people.  His hopes being, that when an anonymous person becomes important, people will begin to become more empathetic and aware, that even though the image will fade the memory will remain.  His works are throughout the city in Spain and should be a part of every walking tour through the street galleries of Barcelona.

Tags: Barcelona, Culture Jamming, galleries, hotel, Identity Series, Spain, street artists
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Last November, a giant sand painting was created in Barcelona, Spain.  Luxury hotels,  cafes, and city walls of Barcelona have long been known to provide the street artists with the ‘canvases’ in which to express themselves, artistically, politically, and philosophically.  This sand painting is no different.  The piece is titled ‘Expectation’ and is the work of Barcelona artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada.   The artist had a consultant in architect Alex Gimenez Imirizaldu.  The painting is a portrait of United States President Barack Obama.  Rodriguez-Gerada used a graphics system, and a topographical map to plan the piece of art work, before the 2008 elections took place in 2008.  The artist stated at the time that the work was on such a grand scale because of the sense of hope that Obama’s supporters had felt, and that the entire world felt, about the campaign and about the man that Obama is.  Obama had evoked such a yearning for change that extended the boundaries of his own country and affected most all other countries in the world.

Rodriguez used six hundred and fifty tons of colored sand to create the piece that signifies the impact that the election had for the world, the power that was felt in the idea of a man such as Obama, is in modern times and history, without precedent.  The artist’s choice to create this massive mural with sand has symbolic connotations as well.  Many indigenous tribes of the world such as the Monks in Tibet, the Native Americans in the United States and the Aborigines of outback Australia, all practice the art of sand painting during rituals of healing ceremonies.  This is a metaphor very easy to distinguish as the idea of Obama’s leadership created the idea that with him leading the U.S., not only would the U.S. be able to heal, but again, the entire world would also.  There are many examples of street art in Barcelona,  and this is one piece that is most brilliant and astounding.

Tags: Barcelona, Expectation, hotels, Naitive Americans, Obama, Rodriguez-Gerada, Spain
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