Sagrada Familia: In the hands of Miquel Barceló, Javier Marín and Cristina Iglesias

On Mallorca Street in Barcelona, ​​facing the sea, the facade of the glory of the sacred family, The main focus of the cathedral. If the birth facade is dedicated to the arrival to the world of Jesus and the facade of passion is dedicated to its last years, that of glory wants to symbolize the history of humanity from Adam and Eve to the final judgment, as well as the teachings of Jesus, and his rise to heaven. And in the final stretch of the construction works of the magna work of Antoni Gaudí, the Construction Board wants to bring the symbolic beauty of this great frame of entry to the cathedral even further.

The entity that manages the construction of the Sagrada Familia announced Tuesday that it has asked three contemporary artists of renowned for an artistic project to complete the facade of glory, which already has a large central door work by Josep María Subachs. In this way, the Mexican artist Javier Marín, the Mallorcan Miquel Barceló and the Basque Cristina Iglesias now have a petition on the table to carry out an artistic project on the main facade.

Although from the Board of Trustees you do not want to imply that it is a contestthe different options will be studied and will be assessed whether they are done or not. The proposals will be studied and a decision will be reached as of December. Even if they are not selected, all artists will be paid for their presentations. “These proposals will help the Board of Trustees to select the artist or the artists who will finally carry out their execution,” added the managing entity, without ruling out that more than one of the proposals can be accepted.

Three renowned artists

Miquel Barceló It is the name best known to the general public. The most international of Spanish artists, born in the Balearic Islands in 1957, his neo -expressionist painting soon catapulted the great foci of contemporary art and since the 80s he has been a reference for Spanish art. It would not be his first intervention in a large religious building since he was recently selected to design a tapestry for the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, and is the author of a mural in a chapel of the cathedral of Palma de Mallorca.

For its part, Javier Martín He was born in 1962 in the Mexican state of Michoacán. Known for his sculptural work focused on the human figure, he has carried out projects in religious spaces such as the Church of San Agustín in Pietrasanta, in Italy, the convent of San Francisco de Asís, in Havana, and the Basilica Cathedral of Zacatecas, in Mexico, among others.

Finally, Cristina Iglesias It is a Basque sculpture and recorder born in San Sebastián in 1957. His combination of different materials and techniques have made him work in public spaces in half the world. Among its public art projects are the doors of the extension of the Prado Museum, in Madrid, and the source of the Leopold Square in Wael, in Antwerp, Belgium

The construction of the Holy Family began in 1882 and in recent years, coinciding with its boom as a tourist attraction, it has accelerated considerably, to the point that it is expected to be fully completed in less than 10 years. At the beginning of the 21st century, it was expected that the works would be completely finished in 2024, but different problems, including a worldwide pandemic, again delay the date. It is now expected that in 2034 the famous Gaudí Cathedral can be completed.