“Gaudí and the Sagrada Família” exhibition at Sagawa Art Museum in Moriyama welcomes 65,738 visitors

The Basilica of the Sagrada Família, with NHK and NHK Promotions, inaugurated the exhibition “Gaudí and the Sagrada Família” on 12 June. It is a travelling exhibition in Japan focused on Antoni Gaudí and his legacy. After its time at the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, while at the Sagawa Art Museum in Moriyama (through 3 December), 65,738 people came out to see the exhibition, making it one of the top three in the history of this museum.

This initiative aims to share the work of this genius architect in Asia and raise awareness of the meaning and current construction status of his masterpiece, the Sagrada Família. In this regard, the exhibition offers a retrospective of the Sagrada Família, putting Antoni Gaudí and his work in context. It draws the public into Gaudí’s architecture and universe through various works and audiovisual pieces, and is divided into four sections: Gaudí the man, his unique architecture, the Sagrada Família, and Gaudí’s influence on contemporary Japanese architecture.

The exhibition features unpublished graphic and audiovisual materials from NHK showing how construction of the Temple is progressing. At the MOMAT in Tokyo, the exhibition also included a collection of heritage pieces on loan from the Basilica of the Sagrada Família, such as original models from Gaudí’s days and religious items designed by the architect, among others.

The Basilica of the Sagrada Família has provided a total of 61 items, noteworthy among which are the model of a girl and the model of Christ’s torso, original plaster sculptures by Gaudí that were used as models for the sculptures on the Nativity façade at the Sagrada Família. Another piece that stands out is the model of the palm fronds for the fence at Casa Vicens. Most notably, this is the first time the models for the pinnacle on the tower of the Evangelist Mark and the original model of a cross have been on display outside the Sagrada Família.

After its time at the Sagawa Art Museum in Moriyama (through 3 December 2023), it will be at the Nagoya City Art Museum from 19 December through 10 March 2024.

Member of the Parliament of Catalonia Meritxell Serret and Catalan Government Delegate to Japan Mònica Castellà visit exhibition

On 2 December, Member of the Parliament of Catalonia Meritxell Serret and Catalan Government Delegate to Japan Mònica Castellà visited the exhibition at the museum as part of an institutional trip to Japan.

During their visit, the MP noted that the exhibition “is a great example of Catalonia’s ability to project itself abroad and of the cultural diplomacy that all Catalan society takes part in.”