Centre d’Art Amatller is a new format of exhibition space that combines state-of-the-art museography and technology, such as immersive audiovisual projections and virtual reality, to experiment and give value to artistic, historical and cultural content.
The equipment, a more than 1,250 square meters venue is located inside Casa Amatller of Passeig de Gràcia, in the modernist block Mansana de la Discòrdia.
Centre d’Art Amatller is an initiative of Amatller MUBA and is located in the former garden of Casa Amatller, accessed from Passeig de Gràcia, at the end of the lobby (courtyard of the block).
Since its inauguration last May 2023, it has created and produced DRAGONS & MODERNISM, THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE, together with Fundació Institut Amatller d’Art Hispànic, with the artistic direction of LAYERS OF REALITY (lDEAL Barcelona) and , from this February 2024, hosts SOROLLA, UNA NOVA DIMENSIÓ, the immersive experience of the SOROLLA YEAR, produced by LAYERS OF REALITY.
In 1891, the City Council reduced Cerdà’s restrictions that had forced the façades to be uniform, which made them look like “cemetery niches” according to Puig i Cadafalch. Casa Amatller was the first to branch out from the prevailing style at that time, and the neighboring houses Lleó Morera and Batlló followed. The restoration of the three houses in the modernist style was radically opposed to the simplicity of the old buildings. Passeig de Gràcia thus became the icon of Barcelona.
In this context, citizens discussed which façade of the three was the most beautiful. They baptized this island as the “Apple of Discord” in reference to the famous episode of Greek mythology in which Prince Paris must choose which of three goddesses is the most beautiful and reward her with a gold apple.
Casa Amatller, the first modernist building of the block, was one of the most important works of this period. Designed by the architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch on behalf of the Amatller Family, this unique house became an example of the new aesthetics of Catalan modernism. Other buildings followed suit, such as Casa Batlló and Casa Milà, designed by Antoni Gaudí, or the Palau de la Música Catalana and Casa Lleó Morera, works by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. All of them are characteristic of Catalan modernism due to their use of floral and organic decorative elements, as well as their attention to detail and the use of materials such as wrought iron and ceramics.
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