Barcelona L’Eixample Esquerra

Fundació Antoni Tàpies. Antoni Tàpies’s massive and bizarre wire sculpture, Cloud with Chair, atop Domènech i Montaner’s red brick building announces this collection of contemporary abstract art. The top floor of the foundation is dedicated to famous Catalans, particularly Tàpies, while the other two floors feature temporary exhibits of other modern artists’ work. Tàpies is one of Catalunya’s best-known artists; his works often defy definition, springing from Surrealism and Magicism, and drawing inspiration from Picasso and Miró. Most of his pieces mix painting and sculpture, and are generally referred to as collage, although he also creates abstract sculptures. Most of his paintings include a “T” in some form, a symbol that has been variously interpreted (or misinterpreted) as a religious cross, sexual penetration, and the artist’s own signature. In truth, no one knows the real meaning, if there is one. Tàpies’s use of unorthodox materials—including objects found in the trash—and his dark, dirty colors are often construed as a protest against the dictatorship and the subsequent urban alienation pervading Spain’s cities. Everyday materials, like sand, glue, wood, marble powder, dirt, and wire show the eloquence inherent in simplicity. The other highlights are the rotating exhibitions on the two lower floors—some of the best modern photography and video art in the city, as well as film screenings and lectures. In summer, check out DJ nights on the terrace, with free drinks and after-hours gallery access. (C. Aragó, 255. ☎934 87 03 15. Pg. de Gràcia. Closed for renovation as of summer 2009. Call for more information.)

Museu De L’Esport. Puig i Cadafalch’s Casa Company once housed the Museu de l’Esport collection; most of the collection (including its 40-some Olympic torches) was recently moved to the Olympic Museum on Montjuïc, but a few genuinely interesting relics, like photographs and medals from the one-time Olympics of Catalonia, remain. Now, the house is less a destination in itself than another stop on your tour of Barcelona’s casas. That said, if you do happen to be in the neighborhood, the museum is quaint and charming, and definitely worth the 15min. it takes to see its entire holdings. (C. Buenos Aires, 56-8. Hospital Clìnic, L5. Walk north on C. Villarroel and turn left onto C. Buenos Aires. ☎934 19 22 32. Open M-F 10am-2pm and 3-5pm. Free.)