In August I visited the city of Barcelona for the first time and I was not disappointed by the visual feasts the city has to offer. Obviously, its a must to delve into the work of modernist architect Antonia Gaudi when visiting the Catalan city; the city feels like a collage of his adventurous designs. The Sagrada Familia cathedral and Park Guell are amazing gems in the Barcelona landscape and a beautiful source of inspiration for many creatives. The mosaics and crazy forms created from Gaudi's imagination, although archetectural in design, I can see the same elements being translated into embroidery.
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| Inside of La Sagrada Familia |
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| Mosaic in Park Guell, Gaudi |
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| view from Park Guell |
While we were there the Festa Major de Gracia was in full swing, a celebration of Catalan culture. The neighbourhood of Gracia deck the streets with handmade decorations as each block competes for best decor. This was an amazing to see first-hand and has definitely given me many ideas to carry through in my work in Level 5. The DIY nature of the decor and bold colours are just tantalising.
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street decorations
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As a part of the festival, it is a Catalan tradition to partake in a Correfoc or 'Fire Run' in which groups of 'diablos' chase revelers through the streets with sparklers and firecrackers. Its a chance for the locals to 'dance with the devil'; the bright lights, smoke, and authentic costumes were greatly inspiring. I am interested in exploring this experience further in my work as I think it would be exciting to translate photos and sketches from this night in my work.
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diablo at the correfoc
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Correfoc/ Fire Run
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