UB Editions presents ‘La Universitat de Barcelona dibuixada’, a visual journey through the institution’s heritage
Yesterday, Tuesday 7 April, the Alibri bookshop hosted the launch of La Universitat de Barcelona dibuixada (2026), the latest addition to the Història de la UB collection, published by University of Barcelona Editions to mark the institution’s 575th anniversary. The book takes readers on a journey through the university’s spaces and landscapes through illustrations by Raúl Deamo and texts by Ramon Dilla.
Yesterday, Tuesday 7 April, the Alibri bookshop hosted the launch of La Universitat de Barcelona dibuixada (2026), the latest addition to the Història de la UB collection, published by University of Barcelona Editions to mark the institution’s 575th anniversary. The book takes readers on a journey through the university’s spaces and landscapes through illustrations by Raúl Deamo and texts by Ramon Dilla.
At the event, the Rector, Joan Guàrdia; the vice-rector for Culture, Memory and Heritage, Agustí Alcoberro; and the authors of the book spoke, presenting the key elements of a work that combines an artistic perspective with a historical narrative to bring the university’s heritage closer to the public.
The Rector pointed out that “it is not easy to write simply or to draw simply”, and emphasized that the authors “have managed to strike a very delicate balance in getting the message across”. “You cannot learn what you do not perceive,” he added.
For his part, Ramon Dilla placed the book within a broader historical context and stated that “it is another piece in a genealogy”, in which the relationship between the university and the city takes centre stage: “Historically, nobody wanted the university in their backyard because it caused tensions, but in the 19th century a decision was made on where to locate it to integrate it into the new urban fabric”. In this regard, he emphasized that “to think of the city and to think of the university is to think of two bodies breathing together”, and that the institution’s impact “acts as a driving force in the shaping of the Eixample and the city’s growth”. Dilla also explained the creative process behind the work and pointed out that “the text is guided by the image”, so the writing “is constructed once the drawings already exist.”
Raúl Deamo, for his part, emphasized the practical and immediate nature of drawing and described the project as “a highly demanding exercise in synthesis”, based on work in sketchbooks and direct engagement with the space. “I position myself in front of the building, with a folding stool, pencil, marker pen and watercolours, and I don’t seek perfection but spontaneity,” he explained.
The illustrator also highlighted the importance of perspective: “When I had to draw a building, I would ask myself where to position myself and which façade best told its story.” Although the work is based on drawing from life, Deamo admitted that in some cases he has resorted to historical images or aerial views to complete the visual documentation.
The volume features around 50 illustrations depicting the University’s various campuses and buildings, from the Historic Building to the Bellvitge and Torribera sites, and also includes other spaces linked to academic and scientific activity, such as the Güell Pavilions, the Palau de les Heures, and unique facilities including the High Mountain Research Station and the oceanographic vessel Caribdis. This diversity of settings allows us to map out the UB’s own geography — extensive and diverse — which extends beyond the city centre to encompass the entire metropolitan area and beyond.
The illustrations, created on site using watercolour and pencil techniques, retain the spontaneous quality of the drawing and are often presented across a double-page spread, whilst Dilla’s texts provide historical and cultural context for the spaces depicted. The book, which also includes versions in Spanish and English, invites a leisurely read that combines observation, memory and discovery.
In this dialogue between line and word, the University emerges not merely as an academic institution, but as a space that is lived in and interpreted, where the contemporary gaze reawakens a memory that continues to cast its shadow over the city.
Ramon Dilla holds a PhD in History of Art, is a heritage specialist and a lecturer in the Department of History of Art at the Faculty of Geography and History. He is one of the leading experts on the UB’s artistic and architectural heritage.
Raúl Deamo is a filmmaker, screenwriter and comic artist, whose career has focused on promoting culture through graphic storytelling. As an author and editor, he has spearheaded several projects in urban illustration and historical memory that link heritage with contemporary visual language.
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