A new work by Lita Cabellut brings light to the Historic Building
Freedom, knowledge, light and darkness are concepts that form an indissoluble part of the University of Barcelona's 575 years of history. The vicissitudes of this history are portrayed as of today in Llum, the work created by Lita Cabellut as a tribute to mark the 575th anniversary of the UB, intended to reflect its importance as a creator of knowledge and light. Cabellut unveiled her creation today alongside the Rector of the University of Barcelona, Joan Guàrdia, and the curator Eloy Martínez de la Pera.
Freedom, knowledge, light and darkness are concepts that form an indissoluble part of the University of Barcelona's 575 years of history. The vicissitudes of this history are portrayed as of today in Llum, the work created by Lita Cabellut as a tribute to mark the 575th anniversary of the UB, intended to reflect its importance as a creator of knowledge and light. Cabellut unveiled her creation today alongside the Rector of the University of Barcelona, Joan Guàrdia, and the curator Eloy Martínez de la Pera.
The new work, which has been installed in the Historic Building, consists of two parts: a 290 × 400 cm canvas hung at the top of the Stairway of Honour in the Rector's Office and a bench located in the building's main vestibule next to the work of the sculptor Jaume Plensa and in front of the statue of Alfonso X. In the words of the artist herself, the bench invites users of the Historic Building to observe the canvas at their leisure: "You sit down, take a breath and, for a moment, you are simply there. You cease to be in order to feel that you are there. It's an instant stolen from the noise, a few moments during which the world goes on without you."
The work overflows with symbolism. The bench now installed at the UB was once the artist's "refuge" in Plaça Reial in Barcelona during her childhood years, spent predominantly on the city's streets. Llum can therefore be said to reflect Lita Cabellut's progression as an artist, bearing witness to the power of resilience in the face of adversity and interweaving aspects of her personal and professional, reminding us that art has the capacity to heal and inspire.
"The colours of Llums are earth, shadows, vibrant and muted, the white of the bone, the black of uncertainty." This is how Cabellut describes the range of colours that dominate her work, and which evoke aspects of her personal journey. The contrast between light and darkness is present throughout the canvas: "The light of knowledge does not dispel the darkness, it traverses it. It is only when we stop, observe and ask questions that we begin to see it".
The path to knowledge
Joan Guàrdia defines Llum as "a powerful, potent and grand image that will forever stand in testament to the University of Barcelona's creation of light. This is not just any light, it is the light that is created when trust, hope and clarity are brought together", he adds, concluding: "With knowledge and life is how university should be enjoyed, and knowledge and life is what Lita Cabellut's work conveys."
But the path to knowledge is not straightforward. "Llum represents the light and shade of the journey. The light that, when we doubt, when we fall, in the vertigo that the greatness of knowledge can induce, is always there and to which we must cling,” says Cabellut. "Llum is the imprint of all those of us who embark on the path of knowledge, leaving what we have learned behind," she concludes.
The artist, Lita Cabellut
Lita Cabellut (1961) is one of the most influential figures in the global multidisciplinary art scene. Her ability to combine elements of different disciplines allows the expression of an artistic language unhindered by the choice of technique. A childhood spent on the streets of the Raval district in Barcelona informed her creative production as much as the training she received years later at the prestigious Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam.
Her large-format works focus on a number of core themes, among them the human being, the social message, brutality, selfishness, ignorance, dehumanization and transcendence. She considers art to be a crucial force in the transformation and improvement of society.
Featured in major national and international collections, and with numerous exhibitions of her own in museums and institutions, Cabellut was awarded the title of doctor honoris causa by the University of Barcelona in 2024.
Llum is free to visit Monday to Friday, from 7:30 to 21:45.
Multimedia gallery
Lita Cabellut.
Lita Cabellut, Joan Guàrdia and Eloy Martínez de la Pera.
Flickr
