Casa Batlló, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Barcelona designed by the Catalan architect Antonio Gaudí, recently opened a new exhibition space designated for shows of contemporary art. The program opened last week with an exhibition of work by United Visual Artists (Matt Clark) and will continue with two annual shows in a space now known as Casa Batlló Contemporary.
The new initiative expands on Casa Batlló’s “Mapping,” a series involving commissions for artists “to transform Gaudí’s façade into a cutting-edge audiovisual performance.” The program, presented over two nights in the winter, premiered in 2022 with work by Refik Anadol and has since featured creations by Sofia Crespo and Quayola.
The new exhibition program moves inside to a second-floor space restored and reimagined by the Barcelona-based architecture and design studio Mesura. The first show was granted to United Visual Artists, a London-based collective founded by Matt Clark in 2003, and takes inspiration from a statement issued by Gaudí himself: “The straight line belongs to man, and the curved line belongs to God.”
Maria Bernat, director of Casa Batlló Contemporary, said the exhibition program “aims to foster a dialogue between the past and future, situating Antoni Gaudí’s legacy within a contemporary framework,” according to a report in The Independent. She continued: “Through art and architecture, it explores his radical vision with present-day thinking, remaining faithful to his spirit of innovation and disruption while engaging with Barcelona’s dynamic artistic landscape.”
The UVA show opened January 31 and continues through May 17. As for future exhibitions, a program description on Casa Batlló’s website says “As a living and constantly evolving entity, the program will continue to grow over time, adapting and expanding in dialogue with the artistic community and the world around it. Rooted in Gaudí’s philosophy of experimentation and curiosity, it celebrates his universal value while offering today’s creators the freedom to project their spirit into the future, honoring the past and shaping the future.”
