Eugenia Balcells displays an "electronic Stonehenge" at the MNAC.

BarcelonaEugenia Balcells (Barcelona, ​​​​1943) is an intellectually voracious artist: he is interested in all visions of science, economy, ecology, poetry, music... His works have a scientific character and at the same time existential and spiritual, as From the center (1981-1982), a pioneering video installation that Balcells herself defines as an "electronic Stonehenge" and which the MNAC is now presenting in its final version in the Oval Room after the Generalitat (Catalan government) purchased it for its collection. "I was seeking above all to capture, in some way, the intrinsically variable and changing nature of reality," explains Eugenia Balcells. "Reality is not just a series of physical objects next to each other, but rather we participate in an energetic dance; we are part of an incredible energetic dance that is working."

The new presentation is titled From the center and consists of a half-sphere 8.5 meters high and 17 meters in diameter, reminiscent of an eye. It is made of a holographic fabric that changes depending on the impact of light, creating a space for the work within the Oval Room. This is not an ephemeral structure, but can be used in subsequent presentations of the work. "A From the center, Eugenia wondered what she could see with the instruments at her disposal," explains philosopher Eulàlia Bosch, the curator of the exhibition along with the museum's curator of contemporary art, Àlex Mitrani. "Eugenia came from experimental cinema, she knew very well what the camera was, but she knew very well what a camera is, but she knew very well what a camera is, but she knew very well what a camera is, but continuously, as long as she wanted and without having to change the film and develop it," explains Bosch. On the other hand, for Mitrani, it is a fundamental work in the history of video art, not only in Catalonia but also internationally. The budget for the new installation, the work of the company Magrada Proyectos, directed by the German engineer Matias Gravenhorst0.

Humanity's place in the cosmos

From the center It consists of twelve screens, each with a stone in its center. Balcells filmed the images seen on each screen over two years in New York from atop the stone, which sat like a marker on the roof of the building where she lived at the corner of Broadway and Grand St. She didn't pursue anything in particular, but rather let herself be impressed by the images the camera offered. The sounds and music on each channel were created by the artist, musician, and sound pioneer Peter Van Riper (1942–1998), who was her partner at the time, and also includes a poem recitation by Eugenia Balcells. "The result is not a documentary about New York City, but rather a very complex reflection on the place of humans in the cosmos," says the curator.

From the center It is destined to be a key work in the future itinerary of the expanded museum, and it connects it with one of the most iconic paintings in its collection, Christ in Majesty by Taüll. "This mystical vision machine that unites science and spirituality, objectivity, the artist's biography, reflection, and work with new imaging technologies dialogues perfectly with the Romanesque frescoes. Christ in Majesty represents the idea of totality of that era, and Eugenia confronted the roots of reality, the Universe, through vision, and conceived this complex and marvelous machine," explains Mitrani.

Each of the monoliths of From the center It has a poetic title, among them High and low, Circles of time (East), Night, Circles of time (West), Layers, Flight and Windows to the sky. Movement is the protagonist of some: a Circles of time (East) you can see the sun moving diagonally across the screen while you hear the sound of a Buddhist bell, and Flight features a group of pigeons circling above the building. Others focus on time and change. To make Layers, Balcells ran the camera at different speeds and used filters to transform the image of the site. In High and low, the lower chamber from the top of the building at street level. And in CornerosBalcells captured everyday life passing by the corner of his building.

"This work is not mine, but humanity's. In order to make it, I summoned the memory of many things, and that gives it a universality that it wouldn't have if it were at the whim of politicians and theirs," he says. "I want to use my contribution to the art world to re-enchant the world, to recover wonder, the capacity for surprise, and the connection with mystery," says Balcells. "We must recover the inner moment, which must be alive. If not, we are dead."

The opening of the exhibition From the centerThe exhibition, which will remain open until September 11, coincided with the working sessions of the group of Catalan and Aragonese technicians who are analyzing the transfer of the mural paintings from Santa María de Sijena to Aragon. For Balcells, this entire process is a "misuse of energy, which is sacred," and she says she would have held a "magical" virtual exhibition of the murals in the monastery.