Spherical Memory

The artist Quim Tarrida installed a large inflatable sculpture in the middle of the parade ground at Montjuïc Castle, a sphere converted into a mirror that prompted visitors to reflect on memory, oblivion and the cult to one’s own image.

The inflatable sculpture Memòria esfèrica (Spherical memory), by artist Quim Tarrida (Barcelona, 1967), was installed in the middle of the parade ground at Montjuïc Castle in Barcelona from 22 December 2014 to 15 February 2015.

A metallic sphere, eight metres in diameter, became a device that functioned as a large mirror, creating a swollen and distorted reflection of our own memory. The piece was located in a highly symbolic place in the history of Barcelona and Catalonia, which brings together the past, present and future. “Spherical memory” prompted apparently playful but intentionally critical reflection about the past. The sculpture occupied the same spot where the statue of the dictator Francisco Franco stood until 1985, made by the sculptor Josep Viladomat in 1963.

Owing to its large size, the sphere protruded above the top of the castle, invading and disturbing this space. Its shiny surface reflected reality, but this was distorted, enlarged, deformed and multiplied.

A 2.0 photo booth was installed so that spectators could take snapshots of themselves as a souvenir. In this way, the inflatable sculpture not only became part of the memory of the city but also part of each visitor’s personal memories.

A world in a mirror that allows self-contemplation and shows us that our reflection always diminishes. With the passing of time, only we will remain, reflected and infinitely smaller.

Small and great events of history disappear from our memories; history in the singular.

Technical details

SPHERICAL MEMORY

Designer: Quim Tarrida, 2014

Inflatable sphere with a flat base, made of metallised PVC

8m in diameter

A production by MagmaCultura for Barcelona Institute of Culture