Modernism in Barcelona: the native vision versus the foreign vision

Dr. Rebeca Pardo

Dr. M. Dolors Tapias
As part of the research projectThe history of design in Barcelona: analysis of the
productive systems and the systems of consumption and intervention (HAR2012-32819),
we considered an investigation into the elements of design that visually influence the
contemporary urban landscape.
Given that Barcelona is an extremely photographed city both by its inhabitants and visitors
(Cornell University researchers discovered its number 12 out of the 25 most
photographed cities, by analysing more than 35 million Flickr photos by more than 300,000
photographers), we decided to confine the research within this first stage. Thus, given the
importance of Modernism in Barcelona, we began comparatively analysing how it has been
photographed in the 21
st
century. We looked at this both for those whom the city is part of
their daily lives and those who view it as tourist or cultural attraction.
The differences are clear: for some it is their home, their neighbourhood, their city, while
for others it is a tourist attraction, something strange, original or different. Everyone walks
by the same works of architecture, design and Modern art but they do not see or connect
them with the city in the same way. It is this multiplicity of perspectives and its
components that we are investigating: What are the points of view captured with the snap
of a photograph by the local, the tourist, the visitor? How do those perspectives intertwine
and what about the urban landscape is revealed or hidden from them in different ways?
Some of the questions we are considering are: How is Barcelona and Modernism portrayed
from an autobiographical perspective? Are there differences in the representation, in the
perspective, in the places, in the treatment and the selected objects of focus?
Modernism is a principally architectural style, with great importance as well in design, fine
arts and decorative arts from the late 19
th
century through the early 20
th
century. Although
the movement was important throughout Europe (art nouveau, Jugendstil) in Catalonia it
had a great relevance, to the point where Catalan Modernism can be considered with its
own characteristics. The majority of this style of art is found in Barcelona because its rise
in popularity coincided with a period of great urban and industrial development in the city.
Two Great World Expositions took place in Barcelona in 1888 and 1929. UNESCO
heritage, officially lists some of these modernist works as Cultural Heritage of Humanity.