 The Spanish sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs is in Korea to exhibit some of his work at the Spain Sculpture Park in Gwangju, Gyeonggi province. Subirachs has recently been working on the monumental Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, Spain, the unfinished masterpiece begun long ago by Antonio Gaudi.
The sculpture park is now displaying 26 works by Korean and Spanish sculptors, and 26 more works will be on display from Saturday. Subirachs, who had contributed an artwork in 1988 for a successful Seoul Olympic Games, will be displaying granite carved into the five letters that spell "Korea."
Subirachs arrived at Incheon International Airport on Monday and went straight to the sculpture park. "I chose solid granite as the subject matter because it went well with the Korean people's image," he explained. "The letter "O" symbolizes perfection, and the pyramid-shaped "A" symbolizes eternity."
Subirachs will be returning to Barcelona next Tuesday to supervise the work at the Sagrada Familia. "The construction of the Sagrada Familia will go on for another 50 years," he explained. "I may not see the end of it but I am giving it my all."
His works, which will stand at the west wing of the cathedral, are different from Gaudi's style. As a result, there were opinions that Gaudi's unfinished work must be left as it is; meanwhile, Subirachs's sculpture of a naked Jesus Christ has become a center of controversy. Subirachs said that he wished to leave the traces of this age through sculptures on the cathedral in his own style, distinct from Gaudi's.
(Jeong Jae-yeong, whauden@chosun.com )
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