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Efemérides: La Mercè

META–SPANISH COMMUNITYEFEMERIDES
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 1)

La Mercè is Barcelona's annual festival, celebrated in late September in honor of the city's patron saint, La Mare de Déu de la Mercè (Our Lady of Mercy). The festival features a variety of events, including parades, concerts, fireworks, and traditional Catalan activities like castells (human towers) and correfocs (fire runs).

ONE OF THE FESTIVAL'S HIGHLIGHTS IS THE ANUAL DESIGN OF THE POSTER

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 2)
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 3)

Fons CRAI Biblioteca pavelló de la república — 'Pregons' 1979-1981

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS:1951 — PERE CLAPERA (Thumbnail)
1951 — PERE CLAPERA
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS:1953 — JACQUES LEONARD (Thumbnail) GOSPEL ESTUDIOS:1953 — JACQUES LEONARD (Thumbnail alt.)
1953 — JACQUES LEONARD
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: (Thumbnail) GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: (Thumbnail alt.)
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS:1957 — ENRIC HUGUET (Thumbnail)
1957 — ENRIC HUGUET
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 1)
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 3)

We visited La Casa dels Entremesos to get to know a bit more about our festa major.

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 1)

1956 — ARMAND DOMÈNECH

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 2)

La Mare de Déu de la Mercè

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 3)

During the Franco regime and starting in 1951, when the post-Civil War festivities were resumed, the posters to announce the festa major were designed through a public contest.

However, it was from 1978, during the democratic Transition, that they began to be commissioned from artists related to the city, including Antoni Tàpies, Nazario, Pere Portabella, Sean Scully, Peret, Catalina Estrada, Antoni Miralda, Jaume Plensa, among others.

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 2)

1981 — EDUARD ARRANZ-BRAVO

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 1)

1982 — FRANCESC TODÓ

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 2)

1983 — FRANCESC ARTIGAU

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 3)

1984 — MIQUEL VILÀ

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 1)

1985 — ROBERT LLIMÓS ORIOL

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 2)

"In 1985, my vision of Barcelona was that of a Mediterranean city open to the sea, inclusive, multicultural, and multiethnic. In this context, I chose dance as the highest expression of celebration.

After living a few years in New York, cultural diversity was an idea I had deeply integrated. That’s why I used the resource of painting the bodies of the characters dancing at the Moll de la Fusta, in front of the sea, in different colors. In the background, I painted well-known elements like Montjuïc, the Columbus sculpture, the Drassanes, and the dome of the Church of La Mercè.

Although at that time the nudity of the characters generated controversy among a part of public opinion, my intention was not – by any means – to provoke any scandal, but rather to emphasize the people, all equal and free from constraints."

Robert Llimós Oriol

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 3)
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 1)

Sofia and Clara in La Casa dels Entremesos documenting the posters

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 3)
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 4)

1987 — MARISCAL

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 1)

1994 — ANNA MIQUEL

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 3)

1989 — XAVIER SERRA DE RIVERA

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 1)

1999 — NAZARIO

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 2)

«Cuando me encargaron el cartel me dijeron que el alcalde Joan Clos había sugerido que este hiciera hincapié en la multiculturidad de la ciudad. Yo me limité a retratar unos cuantos gegants que danzaban frente a mi ventana como hacen en todas las fiestas. ¡Claro que estaba el ‘rey moro’! Una cúpula de fondo (que está al principio de la calle Ferran), una luna sobre la que está aposentado Ocaña –ese personaje mítico de Barcelona–, y una tipografía que recuerda las letras árabes, fueron motivo suficiente para que el cardenal Carles se indignara y considerara el cartel poco "católico". El escándalo estaba servido: el cartel recibió el apoyo de autoridades, pregoneras (aquel año lo había sido Maruja Torres) y ciudadanos en general, que en pocos días agotaron la tirada del cartel que se regalaba a la Virreina.»

Nazario

"When I was commissioned for the poster, I was told that Mayor Joan Clos had suggested that it emphasize the multiculturalism of the city. I simply portrayed a few giants dancing in front of my window, as they do at all the festivals. Of course, there was the 'Moorish king'! A dome in the background (which is at the beginning of Ferran Street), a moon on which Ocaña – that mythical character from Barcelona – is seated, and a typography that resembles Arabic letters were enough for Cardinal Carles to be outraged and consider the poster not very 'Catholic.' The scandal was set: the poster received support from authorities, announcers (that year it had been Maruja Torres), and citizens in general, who in just a few days exhausted the print run of the poster that was given away at La Virreina."

Nazario

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 1)
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 2)

2001 — ANTONI MIRALDA

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 3)

2002 — ANTONI TÀPIES

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 1)

2003 — ENRIC SAUTÉ

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 2)

2004 — PEREJAUME

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 3)

2005 — AMERICA SÁNCHEZ

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 4)

2006 — VICENTE ROJO

Growing up in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona allows you to experience popular culture firsthand, as many events take place in its streets. That’s why Clara, our comms manager, has had a connection with the Casa dels Entremesos since she was little. Thanks to that long-standing relationship, we were able to visit the space where they meticulously dedicate themselves to preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of Barcelona.

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 2)

2008 — PERET

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 1)

2010 — CLARET SERRAHIMA

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 2)

India Juliett during the visit

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 3)

2009 — PATI NÚÑEZ

A big thank you to the Federació d’Entitats de Cultura Popular i Tradicional de Barcelona Vella, to La Casa dels Entremesos and to Dani, Montse, and Agnès for opening their doors to us.

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 2)

2012 — JAUME PLENSA

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 3)

2013 — JOAN FONTCUBERTA

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Efemérides: La Mercè (Fig. 4)

2015 — SEAN SCULLY

GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Module carousel (Fig. 1)
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Module carousel (Fig. 2)
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Module carousel (Fig. 3)
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Module carousel (Fig. 4)
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Module carousel (Fig. 5)
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Module carousel (Fig. 6)
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Module carousel (Fig. 7)
GOSPEL ESTUDIOS: Module carousel (Fig. 8)
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