Exhibition «Literary vanguards and the defense of the Republic», in the Historical Building
The CRAI Library of Philology and Communication in the Historic Building, hosts the exhibition “Avantguardes literàries i la defensa de la República”, an exhibition that examines the contribution of avant-garde poets and artists to the defence of the Republic during the Spanish Civil War. It can be visited from 4 November 2024 until 17 January 2025.
The CRAI Library of Philology and Communication in the Historic Building, hosts the exhibition “Avantguardes literàries i la defensa de la República”, an exhibition that examines the contribution of avant-garde poets and artists to the defence of the Republic during the Spanish Civil War. It can be visited from 4 November 2024 until 17 January 2025.
The exhibition, curated by Rosanna Rion, lecturer at the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and English Studies at the Faculty of Philology and Communication and researcher in translation and intangible heritage, is organized into four sections. The first, devoted to Dadaism and Surrealism in Barcelona, highlights the collaboration of artists from these movements in the creation of works of great social and political significance. The second part makes visible the contribution of English-language women writers to the Republican cause. The third section examines the role of the British and American poets of the International Brigades who fought in Catalonia, while the fourth section recalls the crucial role of radio during the war, an essential medium for the transmission of information and resistance.
In addition, guided tours of the exhibition will offer a detailed look at the connection between the literary avant-garde and republican defence. These tours will take place on 19 November 2024 at 4.00 p.m. and 14 January 2025 at 12:00 noon.
On 13 November 2024 at 12:30 noon a round table discussion will take place in the Chapel of the Faculty of Philology and Communication, with the participation of leading experts in literature and contemporary history. The speakers will be Elvira Altés, lecturer at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, journalist and researcher specializing in communication and gender, who will address the role of women in radio broadcasts in the 1930s; Miquel Berga, lecturer in English literature at the Pompeu Fabra University and expert on the relationship between Anglo-Saxon literature and the Civil War, who will speak on “Veu pública i veu privada. Les crisis creatives d’Orwell i Auden davant la Guerra Civil Espanyola”; and Ferran Aisa, writer, poet and historian with a profound knowledge of the workers’ movement and Catalan popular culture, who will talk about the cultural avant-garde in times of revolution.
With this initiative, the UB aims not only to pay tribute to the work of these artists and intellectuals, but also to deepen our understanding of their influence on contemporary art and culture. For more information on the exhibition and activities, please consult the University of Barcelona’s Blog de Lletres.