Terrassa will celebrate from May 8 to 10 the 23rd edition of the Modernist Fair, an event that this year will revolve around the figure of Alexandre de Riquer and will feature more than 330 activities designed for families in different parts of the city.
The program was presented at the Casa de l'Esport, in an event where three pieces by Eduard Toldrà were performed with the participation of pianist Laura Miras, soprano Anna Farrés, and choreography by the Ballet Contemporani de Catalunya.
An edition dedicated to Alexandre de Riquer
This year's proposal pivots on the figure of Alexandre de Riquer, linked to Terrassa, where he spent time and maintained a friendship with the painter Joaquim Vancells. The deputy mayor for City Projection and Tourism councilor, Joan Salvador, defended the choice of this theme and underlined the need to champion an artist who left his mark on local history.
"It is important to vindicate the figure of this multifaceted artist who influenced the history of the city" - Joan Salvador, Terrassa City Council
The inaugural activity will be "The dream of a spring night, by Alexandre de Riquer" in the gardens of Casa Alegre de Sagrera. In addition, guided tours dedicated to his career have been scheduled, also aimed at families, and the proposal "Let's paint like master Alexandre de Riquer", by Bd5.
More than 330 activities and 178 entities involved
The Fair will bring together 178 citizen entities and will reach 800 performances, with a budget of 158,200 euros. Salvador defended the importance that this celebration has acquired in the local calendar and in Catalonia as a whole.
"The Modernist Fair has forged the character of the city. Terrassa offers a unique program that has positioned itself as the great modernist festival in Catalonia. Numbers are not everything, but they indicate that we are heading in the right direction" - Joan Salvador, Terrassa City Council
The offer will include markets with spaces enabled to install stalls and craft workshops, in addition to talks and exhibitions organized by various entities. The Museu de Terrassa will add heritage visits and open days.
Shows, circus and itinerant activities
Among the novelties of this edition is the installation in the Parc dels Catalans of a two-story vintage carousel. That same space will also be the starting point of the Trenet, which will once again tour the city during the fair.
In Plaça Nova, the Raluy circus will be set up with the show "Terra". This will be joined by performances such as "Silenci, comença l'assaig", which recreates the Orfeó Montserrat of 1919 and will be performed by Oriol Carreres and the Cor Montserrat.
The itinerant programming will incorporate proposals such as "Modernist Gegantons" and "Welcome to the 1900s Terrace," while the Cultural Factory will host the funeral procession, in addition to ceramic exhibitions and exhibition and educational activities on Riquer's influence on local modernism. The Invention Fair, for its part, will be held on Passeig Comte d'Ègara.
Impact on trade and equipment in works
The deputy mayor and councilor for Commerce and Markets, Xavier Cardona, emphasized the impact of the event on the city's commercial and restaurant sector.
"We want to dress up and be one of the benchmarks of modernism in the territory, and it is an opportunity for shops and restaurateurs to be part of the citizen agenda again" - Xavier Cardona, Terrassa City Council
This edition will also be marked by the closure of Masia Freixa and Vapor Aymerich, Amat i Jover, headquarters of MNACTEC, due to restoration and improvement works. Both facilities will not host activities during the Fair, although their surroundings can be visited, with programming planned in Parc Sant Jordi.
"It's a shame, but we must think that it is a necessary rehabilitation and that it will allow us, looking ahead to next year, to have these facilities in their best version" - Joan Salvador, Terrassa City Council
With this plan, Terrassa will once again deploy for three days a program spread across streets, squares, and cultural facilities, with the aim of reinforcing its link with modernism and maintaining an already consolidated event in the local calendar.