Professionals

Joan Brossa (1919-1998) was a restless artist, one who was interested in various artistic disciplines. While it is true that he was a poet, he was not limited to the classical forms and worked with visual poems, object poems and urban poems. In addition, this hard-to-catalogue, avant-garde artist worked in a multitude of disciplines: music, theatre, film, and even magic. However, he remained virtually unknown until 1970, when he published Poesia rasa.

The opening salvo of his career came in 1948, when he participated in the founding of the legendary Dau al Set magazine, a publication that involved Surrealism being fully adopted into the artistic and literary terrain. The book Romanços del dragolí (1948) comes from this period, a work which embodied his irony and humour. He also began to write for the stage along Dadaist lines, as well as two screenplays and even a ballet.

In the 1950s, Brossa's poetry increasingly reflected the social issues, political reportage and Marxist theory. The results of this change in direction were the publications Em va fer Joan Brossa (1950), Catalunya i selva (1953) and the ten books of sapphic odes. His theatre was equally committed, with popular forms such as the 'quadre de costumes' (sketches of manners): Cortina de muralles and Or i sal are examples of these.

From the 1960s, the visual became increasingly important in the work of Brossa. The poet manipulated objects to represent the concept (visual poems). And thus, collaboration with visual artists became inevitable. He worked with Antoni Tàpies and Joan Miró. However, Brossa never stopped writing poetry. His Els entra-i-surts del poeta. Roda de llibres (1969-75), short and playful poems, are from this period.

It was after the death of Franco that the popularity of the artist grew unceasingly: awards and honours, a retrospective exhibition at the Joan Miró Foundation and wide international exposure. His work began to have a physical presence in Barcelona, with some visual poems made concrete, such as Barcino (1991-1994), in front of the Cathedral of Barcelona, and also with the opening of the Brossa Espai Escènic creation space.

The artist always tried to ensure that his lyricism remained grounded. Frankness, irony and even sarcasm were some of the tools he used to achieve this. After his death his legacy passed to the Joan Brossa Foundation, the custody of which was given over to MACBA (Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art).

Since 2004, the Masia de Can Serra in Sant Adrià de Besòs has housed the History of Immigration in Catalonia Museum (Museu d'història de la immigració de Catalunya - MhiC) which acts as a centre for research and dissemination of the memory of migration in Catalonia. In doing so, the Museum offers a permanent exhibition divided into three areas using modern, interactive and educational museum resources.

The Humans in Movement area shows the historical trends in human movement from prehistoric times until the 20th century. The visit continues inside an old railway carriage from the mid-20th century: the Sevillano. This space pays tribute to the generation of internal migrations to Catalonia in the 20th century. It also includes testimonies and memories of those who were passengers. The last area presents migrations of the 21st century, which take place in a globalised world in continuous transformation.

The MhiC also has a documentation and resource centre. Forming part of the collection are the oral memory questionnaires that those who have taken part in the migratory processes can fill out.

From the 1960s, the Diputació (Provincial Council) of Tarragona had been acquiring a significant artistic collection which was not open for public viewing. So, in 1976, they created the Museum of Modern Art, whose purpose was to promote the study and knowledge of the modern and contemporary art and, at the same time, to preserve and display these collections.

The original location chosen was Casa Martí, an 18th century stately home located in the upper part of Tarragona. In 2008, the museum renewed its permanent exhibition and opened a new, more modern and educational museum project.

The museum devotes some rooms to the Taller - Escola de Pintura i Escultura (Workshop - School of Painting and Sculpture) which the Republican Government built in Tarragona and the subsequent Escola Taller d’Art de la Diputació de Tarragona (Workshop and School of Art of the Provincial Council of Tarragona). Also exhibited are works by contemporary artists of the 1980s from the region, such as Bruno Gallart or James Solé.

One of the most important collections of the museum is the legacy left by the sculptor Julio Antonio. In the permanent exhibition, you can see various facets of his work, placing emphasis on the Monument als Herois de 1811 (Monument to the Heroes of 1811), located on the Rambla Nova in Tarragona. Other representatives of the transition from the 19th century to the 20th century, such as Joseph Tapiró, are also on display.

However, the most renowned work in the Museum of Modern Art in Tarragona bears the signature of Joan Miró. This is the Tapís de Tarragona (Tapestry of Tarragona), a large-scale project that the painter made together with Josep Royo. In 1970, Miró gave this tapestry to the Hospital de la Cruz Roja in Tarragona, then directed by Rafael Orozco, in thanks for the care this doctor gave to his daughter. When the institution was closed down, the work was given over to the Museum where it occupies a place of honour.

Joan Brossa, poet, playwright and visual artist, was above all a lover of art in all its forms. He experimented with different genres and, throughout his life, accumulated lots of related documentation. Such were the mountains of papers and different materials accumulated in his first studio in Carrer Balmes that he had to rent a second studio to continue storing his "little treasures".

In 1999, a year after the death of the artist and following his wishes, the Fundació Joan Brossa (Joan Brossa Foundation) was created to safeguard his documentary legacy and to make it as widely known as possible, placing an emphasis on its interdisciplinary character. The Foundation promotes the research, editing, reissue, translation, representation, and exhibitions of the work of Brossa.

Among the Foundation's assets there is the library of Joan Brossa, made up of about 6,000 books, numerous magazines and exhibition catalogues. These are in addition to the personal archive of the poet, composed of about 52,000 documents of various types such as manuscripts of his artistic and literary work, facsimiles, galley proofs, correspondence, posters, press clippings, photographs, etc. Joan Brossa's art collection also belongs to the Foundation, among which there are his own works, as well as works by artists such as Joan Miró and Antoni Tàpies.

In 2012, custody of the collection, the archive and the library was given over to MACBA (Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art) to ensure its conservation and allow it to be made more widely-known. Three years later, the headquarters of the Foundation was moved - which had been in La Seca Espai Brossa - to the first floor of the MACBA Study Centre.

The writer Josep Pla is one of the most important prose writers in Catalan literature of the 20th century. Despite his travels, he did not forget his native Palafrugell. For this reason, in 1973 he donated his library to a newly created organisation, the Josep Pla Library Private Foundation, linked to the municipality. Since 1995, this literary heritage is to be found in the house of the writer’s birth, the current headquarters of the Fundació Josep Pla (Josep Pla Foundation).

At 49, Carrer Nou de Palafrugell, where the journalist spent his early childhood, you can immerse yourself in the life and work of the author of El Carrer Estret. In addition to being the custodian of his personal library, the Foundation has a bibliographical collection specialising in Josep Pla which is continually updated. This is complemented by the material of the Documentation Centre, which includes the author's manuscripts and personal documentation, articles from the newspaper library, a collection of images and videos and an art collection.

Since 2000, a permanent exhibition about Josep Pla (1897-1981) has been on display at the house of his birth, a survey of the personal and professional journey of the writer framed within the historical context of the 20th century. It ends with a room that illustrates the process of creating El Quadern Gris, Pla’s masterpiece, from his first notes in the original manuscript to the first edition of the text.

A la cruïlla entre el Baix Aragó i la desembocadura del riu Ebre, trobem un jaciment arqueològic ibèric molt inusual. Aquí, al punt més alt del recinte, s’ha conservat una gran torre , testimoni del seu període més gran (l’assentament ja existia cap al 600 aC, tot i que fou al segle V aC que es va fortificar). Però això no és tot. El coll del Moro és un dels pocs pobles ibèrics de Catalunya en què s’ha descobert una necròpolis visitable.

Situat en un punt estratègic d’Ilercavònia, l’assentament controlava el flux del comerç comercial entre la costa i l’interior. De manera significativa, s'ha localitzat un taller dissenyat per al processament del lliçó i la fabricació de tèxtils .

La necròpolis, amb tres zones sepulcrals , dades aproximadament entre els anys 800 i 450 aC sembla que conviurà amb la ciutat a la seva primera fase. El lloc estarà ocupat fins al segle I dC.

This Iberian village at the mouth of the river Ebro, located on a hill in the Serra del Montsià, had some very distinguished inhabitants: the elite of the Ilercavones tribe who, from here, controlled the surplus from other settlements in the area and the trade in luxury products with other villages of the Mediterranean.

Moleta del Remei is considered to have been a large village from the first iron age and then became a long-lasting and important Iberian settlement. In fact, it is the only continuously occupied village in the south of Ilercavonia (from the 7th century BC to the 2nd century BC).

The archaeological site has a fortified enclosure with monumental defensive systems, and walls with towers and bastions that had no military purpose. Rather, these were elements of prestige that indicated the status of the inhabitants of the village. Inside, ring roads have been identified and almost all the houses have been built against the wall. Three buildings have been found which might have had a worship function, where child burials have been found.

From the 5th century BC, what had been a small Iberian settlement at the top of a hill in front of the pools of the beach of Calafell, became one of the most notable villages of the Cessetani tribe. At this time, a strong wall was built and a large urban area mapped out. Part of the uniqueness of this site, however, is in the Museum. A large part of the Citadel of Calafell has been rebuilt using experimental archaeological criteria. The result is a scientific and educational experience which shows how the Iberians really lived.

Of the 3 hectares that the town occupied, almost all the whole area inside the wall has been excavated. It has been identified that some of the houses belonged to a warrior elite and that the home of the chief was at the highest point. Enclosures for domestic worship, a water well, ovens to bake bread, and towers that were used for storage have also been located.

The archaeological data extracted from the excavations allowed the village to be rebuilt in 1992, following museum models of the Nordic countries. It was decided that the site should represent the last phase of occupation, in the 3rd century BC, just before the Romanisation of the Iberian Peninsula. Thus, you can walk down the streets and go into the houses, which are even furnished with replicas of the objects found at the site. This work on the museum has meant that, since 2007, the Citadel of Calafell has been a member of the EXARC (European Exchange on Archaeological Research and Communication) network.

El 1912 a Tivissa, un punt estratègic del riu Ebre, on té vistes a la Cubeta de Móra (conca de moreres), es van trobar per casualitat un conjunt de polseres, arracades, anells, mànecs de miralls i 29 monedes d’època ibèrica. Més tard, va aparèixer una figura de bronze d’un parell de toros. Però va ser el 1927 quan va produir la seva troballa més important: això és el que es coneix com el Tresor de Tivissa , el millor exemple de fusteria ibèrica conservada a Catalunya.

A partir d’aquest punt, es va començar a excavar l’assentament ibèric de Castellet de Banyoles de Tivissa, que ha estat considerat un dels més importants de Catalunya. Ocupava una superfície de 4,4 hectàrees i la seva ubicació li permetia controlar les rutes comercials dels grecs i els fenicis al llarg de l’Ebre. No està clar quan es va fundar, però es creu que pot haver existit ja abans del segle VI aC. Va ser abandonada a finals del segle III aC, amb l'arribada dels romans. Més tard es va construir aquí un petit castell medieval.

Actualment, es poden observar les restes de dues torres pentagonals , l'únic exemple d'aquest tipus d'estructures al món ibèric. La seva posició suggereix que, en aquest cas, més que no tenir una funció defensiva, eren elements de prestigi. També s’han excavat una sèrie de cases que s’irradien cap a l’exterior, que haurien format grups de cases o barris.

Tot fa pensar que, dins de l’assentament, hi havia un santuari o lloc de culte . El Tresor de Tivissa, que actualment es pot veure al Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya , consta de 17 peces d’argent dels segles IV al III aC, que són en gran part vaixella de luxe dissenyada probablement per a ser utilitzada en celebracions rituals.

On a small peninsula in the present-day municipality of Palamos, on a hill, in the 6th century BC, the Iberians built a small village that was to become the most important fortified settlement on the Indigetes tribes after Ullastret. Located in an area that offered excellent conditions for control and defence, it developed its economy through trade with the Greek city of Empúries.

It reached its peak between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. At this point, the settlement was fortified on the side with easiest access to the peninsula, the isthmus. The first urban development took place on the highest part of the settlement. To increase the available land on the slopes of the hill, terraces were constructed with reinforced retaining walls on which the streets and houses were built. Today, these can still be seen on the eastern side. It seems that at the top of the fortified summit, or acropolis, there was a Hellenistic temple of which the remains of the entrance portico and the foundations of the columns have been found.

With the Romanisation of the area, the settlement of Castell did not disappear. Its strategic location led to it experiencing new heights in the 2nd century BC. The settlement was extended to the north, beyond the walls, occupying what, until then, had been an area of silos. In addition to new houses, a porticoed square, surrounded by commercial premises, was created.

The archaeological site of Castell is of great significance, both for the architectural techniques employed and for the state of preservation of the remains. And this is because a large proportion of the structures remain, even some walls more than 1.5 metres high. Almost the entire wall can be seen, as well as rooms, streets, water cisterns and silos for storing grain.