Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 93 487 03 15;
www.fundaciotapies.org
; Carrer d'Aragó 255; adult/child under 16yr €7/5.60;
10am-8pm Tue-Sun; Passeig de Gràcia)
The Fundació Antoni Tàpies is both a pioneering
Modernista building (completed in 1885) and the major collection of the leading 20th-
century Catalan artist, Antoni Tàpies. A man known for his esoteric work, Tàpies died in
February 2012, aged 88; he left behind a powerful range of paintings and a foundation in-
tended to promote contemporary artists.
The building, designed by Domènech i Montaner for the publishing house Editorial
Montaner i Simón (run by a cousin of the architect), combines a brick-covered iron frame
with Islamic-inspired decoration. Tàpies crowned it with the meanderings of his own
mind, a work called
Núvol i Cadira
(Cloud and Chair) that spirals above the building like
a storm.
Although it's difficult to understand the art of Antoni Tàpies, it's worth seeing the one-
hour documentary on his life, on the top floor, to understand his influences, method and
the course of his interesting life. In his work, Tàpies expressed a number of themes, such
as left-wing politics and humanitarianism; the practices of Zen meditation and its relation-
ship between nature and insight; incarnation as seen in Christian faith; and art as an al-
chemy or magic.
The collection spans the arc of Tàpies' creations (with more than 800 works) and con-
tributions from other contemporary artists.
FUNDACIÓN FRANCISCO GODIA
Gallery
( 93 272 31 80;
www.fundacionfgodia.org
; Carrer de la Diputació 250; adult/child under 5yr/student
€6.50/free/3.50; 10am-8pm Mon & Wed-Sun; Passeig de Gràcia)
Francisco Godia (1921-90),
head of one of Barcelona's great establishment families, liked fast cars (he came sixth in
the 1956 Grand Prix season driving Maseratis) and fine art. An intriguing mix of medieval
art, ceramics and modern paintings make up this varied private collection.
Housed in Casa Garriga Nogués, this is a stunning, carefully restored Modernista resid-
ence originally built for a rich banking family by Enric Sagnier in 1902-05.
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