The art of Barceló silenced criticism

Thirty-five thousand pounds of paint suspended in the air holes, stalactites, waves, beautiful colors. From below, the view changes at every turn. The sea, a cave, a message of hope. The play is so great that it is ill defined for the eyes. People were between haunted and excited. Miguel Zugaza, director of the Museo del Prado, described the piece as "the most important Barceló and better public cultural project undertaken by Spain in decades." Figures The King praised the leadership of Barceló in the UN headquarters VIDEO - VNEWS - 18-11-2008 The hall includes in its dome built in the Mallorcan artist Miquel Barcelo. - VNEWS Other videos UN (United Nations) DEPTH Headquarters: New York (USA) Directors: Ban Ki-moon (Secretary General) See full coverage Previous Next Other photographs The 'Sistine Chapel' of Barceló PHOTOS - AGUSTÍ TORRES - 30-10-2008 On September 10, 2007 began work in the white dome of the hall of the UN (above). Nine months later, on June 10, 2008, the painter must sign in the center of his work and closed. The change is evident in this assembly .- AGUSTÍ TORRES . 1 of 8 The news on other websites Websites in Spanish in other languages Zugaza: "The best cultural project made public by Spain in decades" The writer Rosa King said that he will donate the money to cooperation While others were still talking about money, the piece began to launch its world metaphors: risk, solidarity, innovation, dialogue, multilateralism real, more human rights. Great art, full of proposals and symbols: an expert in candy for any government that is able to communicate things in a reasonable way. Not for this, that after having the good sense to go for donating a "single work" (as he called the president Rodriguez Zapatero) will be entangled in a controversy perfectly avoidable. The piece by Miquel Barceló in Room XX at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, which now will be Hall of Human Rights and the Alliance of Civilizations, had a long dazzling start. Los Reyes, Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, the president Zapatero and Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, chaired the event along with Ban Ki Moon, secretary general of the UN; Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish prime minister and a driver with Spain of the Alliance of Civilizations, and the Swiss president, Pascal Couchepin. There were over 700 guests, many people remained standing, and also attended by entrepreneurs who have made private funds, a large group of leaders from the Commonwealth Balear and 40 friends of the artist. Barceló not sat at the table and this time was no tie. When he came to speak, he simply read a short text and exquisite on the dome. In French, Spanish and Majorcan, in that order, and although there were translators. After the video was screened Agustí Torres who narrates the process of production of the play, and a long ovation to the artist acknowledged his titanic work. "More than with the Sistine Chapel, the dome has to do with other chapels wonderful as those of Manet or that of Rothko, and above all with Altamira," said Miguel Zugaza. "A Barceló always liked this world. It's in the modern tradition that represents no power but the world's diversity and citizenship. The play will be very important for him and for the twenty-first century. And it's the best possible projection of Spanish modernity. " Mali came from friends of the Dogon Country, where he lives Barceló in the winter. Amon and Amassayu Dolo were long the most elegant of the party, and said that the dome reminded the holy cave of his tribe. "When I look at me to move suggested phrases and dialogues. Our grotto has roots of trees. It is sacred because that is where is the water. When there is no water we have to make sacrifices of animals," Amon counted. Of Spanish art were Soledad Lorenzo, Elvira Gonzalez, the professor and patron of the Prado, Jose Milicua, and Professor Ybars, among others. The Italian gallery owner Pilar Corrie, which opens next week a sample of watercolors of marine Barceló in London (price: 35,000 euros to 200,000), underlined that the controversy over the financing of the work has forgotten a key factor: "There is no more Four or five artists in the world capable of dealing with a space like this. Miquel and only a couple more could have been faced with that. " The Guatemalan writer Rodrigo Rey Rosa, author of the book that tells the nine months of slaughter in Geneva, believes his friend Miquel Barceló dedicate a portion of their fees to cooperation projects. "I am sure you would go, as it has always done so privately, to help African countries". The painter silent. Is tired of a controversy that considers arbitrary and bizarre. His cache in Geneva, where the Spanish painter contributed most of the time, walks around six million euros, less than one third of the total cost of the work, told this newspaper sources close to the painter. When compared with what they are worth their works on the market, a figure is almost laughable. But he is hurt and has chosen silence. It may well spread to those souls who have been shocked at the cost of a work that since yesterday is already history of art. And so perhaps the government will know how to explain how naturally public money is spent. Walking under 1,400 square meters of excitement created by Barceló in Geneva, the first thing that comes to mind is that rarely a government will have invested in a project with such cultural approach such as this. The sergeant of the security forces of the UN SABALO Elias, born in Luarca and emigrant in Switzerland since 33 years ago, noted yesterday the dome full of satisfaction. "It's great, sensational," he said. "Now what we need is that the chamber works and improve human rights."