From the mummies of Egypt to the science of Pixar, the novelties of CaixaForum

Archaeology, art, science, photography, comics, and cinema are some of the themes that will be covered in the fifteen exhibitions that can be visited over the next few months in Barcelona, distributed between the CaixaForum center and the CosmoCaixa Science Museum, which correspond to the 2022-23 season program of the La Caixa Banking Foundation.This year's novelties range from ancient to contemporary culture and approach them from different disciplines. Thus, visitors will be able to see a scientific approach to the creation of Pixar characters; a tour through all facets of 19th-century portraiture by renowned painters; a journey through the history of experimental photography; an exhibition of six mummies from Ancient Egypt, and private collections of great artists from the La Caixa Foundation Contemporary Art Collection, among others. Under the mottoWe believe in culture. We grow in culture, the samples that will be presented in the Catalan capital are part ofa broader program that, with about thirty exhibitions, can be seen in the eleven CaixaForum centers of the State, with 4,000 activities and 8 exhibitions that will travel to more than 80 cities in Spain and Portugal. The deputy general director of the La Caixa Foundation, Elisa Durán, and the corporate director of the Culture and Science Area, Ignasi Miró, presented this Wednesday the program, hopeful that this new "covid-free" season will consolidate what the pandemic already highlighted: "citizens have fully embraced culture." This leads the foundation's officials to think thatits museum network may close 2022 with 3.5 million visitors, more than in 2019, but taking into account that CaixaForum Valencia opened its doors last July. In the last six months ---without covid restrictions since March 1--- a total of 1.5 million people have visited CaixaForum centers throughout Spain, only 18% less than in 2019. In August, CaixaForum had a thousand daily visitors and CosmoCaixa, 3,000. According to Durán, consumption habits may have changed because now50% of tickets are already bought online, "therefore, the public plans its visits more," but the important thing is that "it is aware of what culture brings to its life," and for that reason "we will continue to bring it closer to citizens." With an offer "that continues to be marked by the three elements that we consider vectors of culture in today's society: technology, science, and sustainability," stated the deputy general director of the La Caixa Foundation, Elisa Durán. News at a CaixaForum that is celebrating an anniversaryDurán has also explained that it is planned that in the first week ofDecember the Vertical Forest will be inaugurated, "a gift to the city"for the 20th anniversary of CaixaForum Barcelona, which will become a green door. Meanwhile,inside CaixaForum, the exhibition season will begin next September 28 with the presentation of Comic. Dreams and History.The exhibition, self-produced, vindicates this art as a tool for reflection on the present and future, and as a powerful means of creating parallel realities, imaginary worlds, utopias and dystopias. The result of collaboration with international institutions and museums, the cultural center located in Montjuïc will also hostMummies of Egypt. Rediscovering Six Lives. With the collaboration of the British Museum, this exhibition uncovers the stories of six people who were mummified in the Nile Valley between 800 BC and 100 AD.The Century of the Portrait. The Image of 19th Century Societywill be another of the proposals, in this case from the National Prado Museum, where works by Francisco de Goya, Vicente López, Federico Madrazo, Eduardo Rosales, Ignacio Pinazo, Joaquim Sorolla and Ignacio Zuloaga, among others, can be seen.

And, why not, approach espionage from cinema?, "now that it is topical". With Top Secret. Cinema and espionage, which analyzes the fruitful relationship between these two fields, the interrelationship between the acting profession and the figure of the spy will be known; between fiction and historical facts, "placing a special focus on the historical role of women spies," Ignasi Miró recounted.

In exhibitions on photography, the chosen themes:Expanded Visions, in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou, which traces the history of experimental photography from the early 20th century to the present day. The entire CaixaForum program will be completed byGods, Magicians and Sages; Alex Reynolds; The Human Image. Art, Identities and Symbolism; Cinema and Fashion. By Jean Paul Gaultier; Digesting the World Where It Is.The museum network continues to bet on immersive experiences with virtual reality technology. In addition to the opportunity to continue enjoyingSymphony, by Gustavo Dudamel, will offerRavel's Bolero, under the baton of Catalan maestro Josep Pons, permanently at CaixaForum Barcelona starting in December; and from May to August 2023 in different cities in Spain and Portugal.Pixar, colors and nanocosmos in CosmoCaixaFor its part, the CosmoCaixa Science Museum will offer four proposals during the 2022-2023 season:The Science of Pixar(developed by the Museum of Science in Boston in collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios and is eminently interactive),The Colors of the World(photographs by National Geographic authors) andNanocosmos by Michael Benson. The reality hidden in the human eye(a microscopic look at the beauty hidden in the flora and fauna of our planet) and will continue to offerThe Sun. Living with our star. On the other hand, it will propose a different approach to theUniverse Room and the Flooded Forest with the launch of a new interactive guide. With it, the user will be able to enjoy exclusive content, games, videos, and 3D animations. It will be a way to discover the center from the visitor's own mobile phone. In the Planetarium, the public will be able to enjoy a new full-dome projection:Dinosaurs, a Story of Survival. Audiovisual content within everyone's reachFor this year, Fundació La Caixa is finalizingthe launch of Caixaforum+, a content platform that will bring the experiences visitors can find in cultural centers closer to the virtual world"It is a way of bringing our exhibitions to new audiences, to those people who cannot travel to the centers and it will also complete the offer and experiences of those who do visit us," said Elisa Durán. "It is not about making a replica of each show or exhibition," clarified the corporate director of the Culture and Science Area, Ignasi Miró, but rather "completing them" with audiovisual materials that "will provide more information to those who have already seen the exhibitions or for those who wish to come with full knowledge of the facts." In thisplatform "which will be finished by the end of the year", the public will find documentaries, series, concerts, podcasts, interviews, video art, operas, and a long etcetera among themore than 120 projects that will provide 1,200 content capsules, which will be distributed in nine thematic blocksThe deputy general director of the La Caixa Foundation, Elisa Durán, highlighted that in the development of this project, the foundation has relied on the work of 60 production companies from all over Spain, "with the importance this has for the growth of the audiovisual sector."

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