"The Nature of Art Nouveau" offers art enthusiasts and the general public an original appraisal of the Art Nouveau style and its relation to nature. This is a free show, presented in Catalan and English. The exhibition is complemented by the book A Strange World: Hybridisation in Art Nouveau and Symbolism and an activity booklet for kids from 6 to 11 years old.
The exhibition, which is touring thirteen cities including Barcelona, forms part of the project "Art Nouveau and Ecology", organised by the Réseau Art Nouveau Network with the support of the European Commission´s Culture 2007-2013 programme.
The exhibition is in three parts:
· Eye of an Era examines artists´ fascination for nature, with scientific discoveries in the spheres of botany, zoology and oceanography, as well as developing evolutionary theory, and technical inventions such as the microscope, photography and film.
· Nature´s Studio shows artistic experiments using natural and artificial materials as well as fresh techniques for creating new forms inspired by nature: lines, ornaments and structures, motifs and symbols.
· The final section, Artificial landscapes, illustrates Art Nouveau interpretations of the seasons and natural elements: spring, earth, water, air, light, fire.
Each city brings its own vision to the exhibition, complementing it by presenting local works. In Barcelona´s case, this consists of:
· Nineteen photographs taken by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner
· Two folders from the studio library of the cabinetmaker and decorator Joan Busquets i Jané (Barcelona 1874-1949), published in Paris, which influenced the manner of constructing decorative compositions in Art Nouveau.
· Three films by Segundo de Chomón (Teruel, 1871 - París, 1929), in which nature is transformed as if by magic.
· The posters Al·legories del cicle de la natura (Allegories on Nature´s Cycle), which the painter and poet Alexandre de Riquer i Ynglada (Calaf, 1856 - Palma de Mallorca, 1920) dedicated to the four seasons.
· Fragments from the book of prose poems by Alexandre de Riquer, Crisantemes (Chrysanthemums), Barcelona, Ed. Thomas, 1899.