Saturday 19 January 2013

El Paral·lel Exhibition, CCCB, Barcelona...

Today is a very wet and miserable day in Barcelona, not that unusual for January. The perfect type of day for heading to a museum in fact, and if you are here or planning to be before the end of February, I strongly recommend that you head to CCCB for the El Paral·lel, 1894-1939 exhibition.


We went last weekend and ended up being there for almost 3 hours as there was so much information to take in. We're planning to go again as we liked it so much. It tells the story of the development of the area from a wasteland outside the city walls and how it became an entertainment mecca, red light area and more.


The exhibition explores the stories of the performers who became famous in the theatres, the political groups who found it perfect for recruiting new members and the various incarnations of the buildings and businesses. There's a fascinating room which covers the seedy side and the victims of various excesses which could be indulged in the area. You can also see some fabulous paintings depicting life on the avenue, including a few early Picassos.

The exhibition runs until February 24, entrance is 5 euros (free between 3 and 8 on Sundays) and CCCB is open every day except Monday from 11am to 8pm.



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