DREAMS AND REALITY
A PATH TOWARD THE ORIGIN
EXHIBITION GAUDÍ 'S YEAR 2026
RIUDOMS
REUS - SPAIN
Pilar Aldana-Méndez
Simone Eva Neihard
Opening 25th April at 17:30h
Gaudí's Family House
Antoni Gaudí Library
Vila Romana of La Mola
Chapel of the Virgin Mary
From 25th April to 28th June, 2026
Organized by Riudoms Town Hall
Consult for Visits
Originality consists of returning to the origin, understanding the wisdom of a being who created architectural spaces from lived experiences, from admiration for every corner of nature, from the mysteries of his spiritual world, and always with an infinite curiosity for the environment, science, and philosophy.
We propose you to follow the Gaudí Path with your curiosity attuned to find this Origin: observe your steps in life, discover the laws and cries of nature that lead you to creativity, experience everything around you, learning its behavior, admire the geometric forms of nature and the spaces we inhabit in the world. It is necessary to be quiet in order to delve into spirituality and express it by giving meaning to the new manifestations, actions, and creations that may arise.
We are two artists, Simone Eva Neihard and Pilar Aldana-Méndez, who share our voices to celebrate the world of the architect Antoni Gaudí in 2026 and commemorate the centenary of his death.
We made our journey to Riudoms, the birthplace of the Master Antoni Gaudí. Along this path, deeply connected to nature, through our creative and spiritual world, we found in Gaudí's works and projects a powerful source of study and inspiration.
Pilar Aldana-Méndez has dedicated special attention to the spaces and the presence of light in the Sagrada Familia temple, conducting extensive photographic research over the last eight years to create the visual poems entitled "The Temple of Light," which bring together images of the temple and nature.
Pilar Aldana-Méndez created nine sculptures in solid glass for the Sacristy Tower of the Sagrada Familia, a project that led her to study Gaudí's work in depth, especially in the way the architect intentionally applies geometry to capture the vibration of light in spaces, and how he imbues forms with a spiritual meaning.
The sculptures presented by Pilar Aldana-Méndez are made of stone, glass, and clay. They are works created from her understanding of the practice of art: Technique - Spirit - Thought, where the rigor of geometry, the passion for light, empty spaces, and lived experience give shape to ideas.
The exhibition at the Gaudí family home includes a selection of photographs of the Temple of Light project, as well as details of the project carried out for the Sacristy Tower, and a group of sculptures that have a strong connection to Gaudí's thinking.
At the Roman Villa of La Mola, you will find the granite sculptures that Pilar Aldana-Méndez is contributing as her main tribute for the centenary of Gaudí. These works have a very special history, with a close relationship to the Temple of the Sagrada Familia.
Simone Eva Neidhard has intensively studied the plans, drawings, and writings of Antoni Gaudí, but above all, his buildings and models. She reflects on and artistically interprets these references, especially the plaster models from the Sagrada Familia archive and the preliminary studies for the nave's columns.
These observations are reduced pictorially to a few basic organic forms and design principles, which she places in dialogue with the flora of Gaudí's birthplace, Riudoms. For these plant studies, Eva uses pigments from plants that may have inspired the architect, and, in keeping with the sustainability practices already embraced by Gaudí, she uses only natural materials.
In her sculptures, Simone Eva Neidhard playfully explores Gaudí's unique formal language. Her aim is not so much to imitate as to conduct an intuitive investigation of his rich formal vocabulary. Themes such as the interrelation of fragments and unity, or materiality and space, are playfully contrasted. Using materials such as bronze, glass, and ceramics, she deliberately draws inspiration from the materials Gaudí employed.
With Homage I – III, Simone Eva Neidhard creates spatial installations that pay tribute to various artistic and human aspects of the master's work. The artist presents her paintings, sculptures, and installations in the Chapel of the Virgin Mary and the Antoni Gaudí Library.
PARTS OF THE EXHIBITION
AT GAUDI'S FAMILY HOUSE . CASA PAIRAL
THE TEMPLE OF LIGHT
NATURE . LIGHT . GEOMETRY
2014-2026
AT THE SAGRADA FAMILIA
LIGHT LIVES IN THE SPACE IN ETERNAL VIBRATION
the temple's stained-glass windows
fills the space with a vibrant color
magnifying the presence of the architectural elements,
giving them new life at every moment of the day
and a special vibration in every season.
PERFECT GEOMETRY TO RECEIVE
THE LIGHT
its harmonic, rhythmic, and structural richness
is magnified and has the power to transform an entire space
into something sublime, unique, and mysterious.
and repeated them to magnify this presence.
the meaning of the Holy Trinity,
light entering through the spaces
to reunite the Father with the Son.
through the perfection of forms;
he was the creator of
THE TEMPLE OF LIGHT
PROJECT
GLASS IS LIGHT
GLASS SCULPTURES FOR THE
BASILICA SAGRADA FAMILIA
2014 - 2016
commissioned by the architects of the Sagrada Familia,
marked a significant moment in my journey as a sculptor.
of the Sacristy Tower of Sagrada Familia"
Project by Pilar Aldana-Méndez
LIVING THE SCULPTURE
TECNIC . SPIRIT . THOUGHT
and thoroughly understanding the craft
are the foundations that have guided the
artistic work of the sculptor Pilar Aldana-Méndez
DREAM AND REALITY, A PATH TOWARD THE ORIGIN
the guiding threads that inhabit her works, such as:
the significance of Space and Time,
the rigor of Geometry and the passion for Materials,
the admiration of Nature and the strength of the Spirit.
The presence of these nuances in the thought
of Master Antoni Gaudí,
encouraged the sculptor to dedicate time and life
to the profound study of the great architect's creations.
Pilar presents at the Gaudí Family's ancestral home (Casa Pairal)
a selection of sculptures in marble, glass, and ceramic
to celebrate the life and work of the great architect.
SEEDS
GRANITE SCULPTURES
PILAR ALDANA-MÉNDEZ
by large-format sculptures placed in natural
settings across a wide range of locations worldwide.
using local materials and diverse techniques,
ranging from direct hand carving to the use of sophisticated tools.
Pilar lived for 20 years near Granits Barbany
These “cylindrical remnants” come from the core extracted
from each section of the Sagrada Familia columns.
which were carved with robotic diamond wire
and finished with hand carving and polishing.
preserve the power that comes from the original stone
and manifest the strength that a new life gives them.
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