Our morning started at the wet and wonderful Park Guell. Despite the rain we managed to enjoy the undulating facades and mosaic masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi.

 

"El Bosque en la Pared

Our next stop was the Caixa Forum where we saw a wacky performance called El Bosque en la Pared (the forest in the wall). A visual, musical and theatrical spectacle with a cast of 4 physical theatre actors and percussionists whose stage was transformed into an array of percussive instruments that brought a magical and mysterious story to life.  At the Arc de Triunfo we met Mia and Francisco, two photographers working in Barcelona, who led a fantastic workshop in light photography. The students learned about shutter speed, ISO and aperture and then with flashlights in hand let their imaginations take over. 

Our next morning was spent on 2 wheels following our graffiti tour guide Flo around some lesser seen areas of Barcelona in order to learn more about the street art scene. The work ranged from whimsical figures to highly detailed portraits by both Spanish and international artists. Thanks to our guide we could not only appreciate the aesthetic qualities of the work but also the conceptual (and often political) stories behind it. To end the tour, Street Art Barcelona helped us secure a legal wall for our students to work on their collaborative planned piece (and some impromptu ones). We were once again impressed by our students ability to work as a team and problem solve as they went.

                     


An incomplete beauty-La Sagrada Familia

Visiting La Sagrada Familia was our final adventure of the day, the famous cathedral which began construction 136 years ago and remains under construction today. Gaudi designed the temple in an attempt to bring heaven closer to earth. 

 

We traveled by train to Figueres, a small town where Salvador Dali was both born and buried.  In the heart of the town, beside the church where he was baptised, stands the former Municipal Theatre which Dali transformed his own "Theatre Museum". To call this a museum is an understatement as the whole building is a work of art and experience in itself.

After a week of admiring Gaudi's amazing architecture with mosaic detail at Park Guell, La Sagrada Familia, Casa Batillo and La Pedrera it was time to dedicate a morning in order to create a piece of mosaic ourselves. At the workshop students chose to work individually or in a group and learnt to cut, arrange and finally grout the coloured tiles.They have approached every activity with an open-mind and a great appreciation for the culture of Spain and its rich artistic identity. We look forward to seeing you on Friday evening with many more stories and photos to share.¡Gracias Barcelona!