The Obra Cultural de FUNIBER (FUNIBER’s Cultural Work) and the Universidad Europea del Atlántico (European University of the Atlantic, UNEATLANTICO) plans to inaugurate in the coming months in Laredo the exhibition “Tàpies, colección del grabador Barbarà” (Tàpies, Collection of the Engraver Barbarà), coinciding with the celebration of the centenary of the birth of the artist Antoni Tàpies.
The exhibition “Tàpies, colección del grabador Barbarà” contains 31 prints belonging to the collection of the outstanding engraver Barbarà and has as common denominator the renowned Barcelona painter and engraver Joan Barbarà (1927-2013) and one of the most outstanding Spanish artists of the 20th century, Antoni Tàpies (1923-2012).
According to Federico Fernández, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities and Director of the Obra Cultural de FUNIBER, the importance of this collection “lies in its uniqueness” and the works cover a wide stylistic repertoire of the author, “being able to appreciate several of his creative phases.”
A noteworthy aspect of the collection, which gives unity to the series, is that most of the prints are signed by Antoni Tàpies. Fernández emphasizes that he acquired the works directly from Barbarà’s sons, and that the fact that they are Bon à tirer (good to pull) is an aspect he is proud of because it brings quality. The director of the Obra Cultural de FUNIBER also points out that the collection shows a representation of Tàpies’ stylistic evolution, from the times of Dau al Set (1948) up to the 1980s.
This exhibition also contains three books illustrated by Tàpies that Barbarà was in charge of editing. One of them is L’estació (The station, 1984), made with the Catalan poet J.V. Foix; the second is El Pa a la barca (The Bread in the boat, 1963), a work with verses by Joan Brossa; and the third is Repertorio de junio (June Repertoire, 1980), carried out with the poet Jorge Guillén.
Finally, apart from Tàpies’ engravings, the collection of the engraver Barbarà is composed of two works by this Catalan painter and engraver that show that the artist was a major figure in recent Spanish painting.
The exhibition coincides with the celebration of the centenary of Tàpies’ birth. Promoted by the Fundación Antoni Tàpies (Antoni Tàpies Foundation), the objectives of this event are to approach in depth the work and thought of the artist, to disseminate them both nationally and internationally, to contribute to update the readings, and to build new perspectives.