English
In the cyclical dance of time, undoubtedly, there have been more prudish and puritan times in the Western World than nowadays. However, it is also true that not long ago, there have been incomparably freer and more permissive times regarding moral issues. This makes us feel as victims of a moral deterioration that is hardly bearable. While permissive times usually coincide with great intelligence and creativity explosions, puritan times coincide with times in which stupidity seems to be the dominant paradigm. Obviously, intelligence, creativity, good taste or style do not disappear from the face of the Earth. They just give the impression of being left aside from time to time.
People get used to stupidity, absurdity and the lack of ideas in the political discourse –In fact, it seems to be dominated by lazy students who did not even have the honor of being the last ones of the class-. Also, the media, work and mass culture might make people end up forgetting there is another way to live, think, behave and govern.
For example, there are constant negative comments about Amy Winehouse’s life on the edge. People sometimes forget that it is very difficult to expect moving and tender songs from a tormented artist who is surrounded by nicotine, drugs and love problems. People just forget that for some artists, their direct communication with pain is an essential part of their extraordinary works. It is as if we expected that artists with hard lives like Billie Holidays have a perfect like just by going to the gym every day and by reading self-improvement books (As if self improvement books were the only good books) that convinced them that the world is a wonderful place where all problems are only in one’s imagination. People even expect that people like Gaudi be completely normal and functional, dress to the nines and be capable of working during office hours without thinking about the deep and disturbing spiritual matters.
But obviously, life is not that simple and those artists’ inner turmoil is probably what makes them be exceptional artists. That is the case of Antoni Gaudi, whose first prominent work was the Guell Palace, which was named a UNESCO World Heritage in 1984. The Guell Palace reopened its doors to the public after having been totally restored; the only thing that could not be completely restored was the original organ. That is why the Palace was closed for the last seven years.
The Guell Palace was built between 1886 and 1890 in the Carrer Nou de la Rambla, near the port. From the very beginning, the building stood out for its innovative conception of space and light and its extremely personal and imaginative use of stone, marble, wood, wrought iron, metals and glass.
Paul Oilzum
More than 100 years later, the Palace continues to be as impressive as it was the first day it opened its doors to the public. Remember to book your Barcelona accommodation in advance, and do not forget to visit the Guell Palace!
