Sagrada Familia Light Show (Ode a la Vie)


Having seen incredible Casa Mila, Sagrada Familia was next on the sightseeing agenda. This breathtaking cathedral was Antoni Gaudi’s last project.  Gaudi died in 1926 and is buried in the crypt in the Sagrada Familia. The temple is unfinished and is a still evolving work in progress.  It is estimated that the structure will be completed around 2026, the centenary of Gaudi’s death.
Words cannot describe this incredible UNESCO World Heritage basilica.






I was fortunate enough to be in Barcelona during the annual Merce festival, which is held each year around September 24th.  As tradition dictates, a host city is asked by the city of Barcelona to participate in the festival and this year it was a Canadian city that held this honour.

 A Montreal based studio called Moment Factory was asked to produce an interactive light show depicting the creation of life on the facade of the Sagrada Familia. Was it merely by chance that I just so happened to be sporting the Canadian Olympic jean jacket (purchased at The Bay at 50% off, the day after the closing Olympic ceremonies)? I felt an immense sense of Quebecoise pride to be here in Barcelona, in a small way, representing all of Canada.

The “Montreal Signe Ode a la Vie” light show was an out of this world illumination detailing the exquisite reproduction of the Nativity of the Holy Family that was carved into the stone of the cathedral.








 

I couldn’t help but marvel at how Gaudi’s uncompleted basilica was continuously evolving and rejuvenating  and that this Spanish architect would have been as impressed and astonished at how future generations have interpreted his grand vision.

Perhaps that is why the Sagrada Familia has not yet been completed and remains a work in progress, giving current artists the gift of contributing their imaginative interpretation to Gaudi’s masterpiece. Since Gaudi’s original architectural drafts were lost in a fire, no one knows what his final vision for Sagrada Familia was supposed to be.

Wow!!!!!!!  Here’s a first!! I was so mesmerized and enthralled by the light show that it didn’t even occur to me to try and locate a shop of any kind. On the odd occasion, it is reward enough just to embrace the moment and savour the delight of experiencing a rare once in a lifetime moment.

Come discover the architecture of Barcelona with me....come travel with me.....

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