Miquel Barceló, no news of his project for the Sagrada Familia

Miquel Barceló's exhibitions always generate a lot of anticipation. The one dedicated to him by the Artur Ramon Art gallery starting this Friday generates even more: Barceló is one of the three artists who a few months ago presented a project for the facade of the Glory of the Sagrada Familia, along with Cristina Iglesias and Javier Marín, and the exhibition will open its doors three days after the inauguration of the tower of Jesus by Leo XIV. It is his first exhibition of unpublished work in a Barcelona gallery since 1990. It may seem like a very calculated operation, but Barceló explained this Thursday that, simply, "the moment has come and it makes sense." "I don't really like having exhibitions in a gallery, I prefer painting. There's nothing strange about that," he added after patiently posing for photographers. Previously, gallerist Artur Ramon had asked that questions be focused on the exhibition, which includes about thirty prints, and not on the "media noise" generated by a potential collaboration of Barceló with the basilica.

But it is inevitable to ask Barceló about his project for the facade of the Glory. However, he limits himself to saying that he visited the temple "many times" months ago, but that he was not at Pope Leo XIV's mass yesterday. He also assures that he arrived in Barcelona this Thursday, and that he has not had any further news from the Sagrada Familia Construction Board since he presented the proposal in March. "I don't know anything you don't know," the artist concludes. On the other hand, he is moving forward with the other major sacred art project he has in hand: three tapestries for the renovated Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. "One of the Notre-Dame tapestries is already being woven, and the other two are very advanced. Now the work I have is to control the color, which is very pleasant," says the artist.

35 prints and three artist's books

The exhibition is titled Miquel Barceló. Engravings from Barcelona. 2010-2026, with poems by Enrique Juncosa, the exhibition's curator; For the artist, engraving is like a "laboratory," another way of painting, but with techniques that include aquatint, etching, lithography, and screen printing. Additionally, on some occasions, he has used organic materials such as seeds. "Engravings are like a print that, by definition, must be reproduced, although I am little interested in editions and, if I could, I would only make one or two copies," warns Barceló. He also points out that the exhibited engravings, many of which are full of fish, octopuses, and shrimp, resemble his paintings. In other engravings, there is a string of portraits of "word lovers," specifically writers, including Gérard de Nerval, Miquel Bauçà, Dylan Thomas, Vladimir Nabokov, and José Lezama Lima.

, a book without texts, and an illustrated edition of Sobre la apariencia de las cosas, with poems by Enrique Juncosa, the exhibition's curator; Dins la panxa del bou, a book without texts, and an illustrated edition of Le bestiaire ou cortège d'Orphée by Guillaume Apollinaire.