Saturday, 17 May, is the big day for museums in Barcelona and some in the metropolitan area. Or perhaps we should say the night, because these centres, which usually close their doors in the evening, will have them open exceptionally this Saturday between 7 pm and 1 am. It is the Night of the Museums, with doors open to exhibitions and many special activities: from concerts and recitals to visuals, workshops and performances, as well as guided tours. 

A night in ancient Rome

Yes, we’ve all seen the film Espàrtac and we all know all about the ancient Romans, but let’s get down to the practicalities. Do you know how the people of Barcelona managed to have running water almost two thousand years ago? Experts from the Barcelona Archaeology Service will explain it to you in situ in Plaça del Vuit de Març. Come from 7 pm to 12.15 am and every fifteen minutes they will give you a guided tour in Catalan (in Spanish, at 9 pm and 10 pm) explaining the system of aqueducts that the ancient Roman colony had and will take you through the ancient Roman city to the Casa de l’Ardiaca. Do you know what the specus was? Here they explain it to you.

We are premiering 

Are you regulars at the Nit dels Museus and you’ve already visited all the possible heritage centres and done all kinds of activities? Are you still hungry for more? Come, if that’s the case, to Casa Batlló, which is making its debut in this year’s edition. The house that Antoni Gaudí remodelled can be visited free of charge, but you must make a reservation before coming. You will not only see the main floor, but also the recently restored courtyard at the back, the attic, the terrace with Gaudí’s chimneys, the entrance staircase renovated by the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and the LED Cube, an immersive installation recently opened that completes this journey to modernist Barcelona. 

The Hospital de Sant Saver, in the heart of the city, opens its doors and joins the Nit dels Museus for the first time. It offers a guided tour to discover the remarkable collection of Casacuberta Marsans art that is kept in this old religious building.

More premieres? Those of the Espai Moja. Catalunya: Patrimoni Viu (Catalonia: Living Heritage); the Fundació Úniques (Uniques Foundation), dedicated to raising awareness of art made by women in Catalonia; and the Hivernacle de la Ciutadella, which, like the rest of the Science Museum’s facilities (the Blue Museum, the Martorell Exhibition Centre, the Botanical Garden…) is open to the public on open days.

Hacking songs

Surely you’ve had some of those lifelong songs since childhood, but with a racist tinge that you haven’t been aware of until recently? And if we change, transform, modify, in short, if we hack these songs and turn them into something else with a different message? They teach you how to do it in a two-hour workshop (you’re sure to laugh) that will teach you how to transform letters from an ‘anti-racist, diverse, fun and decolonial’ perspective. At the heart of all this is the Radia Cava-ret collective, the authors of this migrant Kabaret, which they are organising at Fabra i Coats: Centre d’Art Contemporani. 

In addition to the workshop, they are also organising guided visits to the exhibition ‘Amable informal’, which can be seen at the centre these days and which explores the concept of friendliness through the works of eleven contemporary artists.

Outdoor Cinema 

The first night of cinema in the cool of the season, but it’s a surprise that the first one is being held in a heritage space like La Virreina Centre de la Imatge. Here you can see five exhibitions of great interest: ‘Eugenio Barba / Odin Teatret. Autopenetració’; ’Álvaro Perdices. Cultivar l’estrany’; ’Cathy Berberian. Stripsody’ and ’Michel Ragon. And after Le Corbusier?’. Also the exhibition ‘Sara Gómez. La meva aportació’, dedicated to a very prolific Cuban filmmaker who died young. If you want to know why they are dedicating an exhibition to her, come and see her films at one of the sessions at 7, 8.30, 10 and 11.30 pm. Guanabacoa, crónica de mi familia (1966, 13 minutes), Y… tenemos sabor (1967, 30 minutes) and Mi aporte…. (1972, 33 minutes). 

Visual and Performing Arts

Both disciplines meet during the Nit dels Museus at Fundació Vila Casas- Can Framis, where there are not only open doors to the permanent exhibition of contemporary painting ‘Monòleg, diàleg i concepte’ (Monologue, dialogue and concept) and the temporary exhibition ‘La fragilitat de la pintura a l’època del fast food’ (The fragility of painting in the fast food era) by Carles Gabarró. In addition, however, at 7.30 p.m., 8.30 p.m., 9.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m., two micro-theatre plays by companies linked to the Píndoles festival will be performed. They are Eros i Psique (at 7.30 and 8.30 p.m.), directed by Adriana Segurado, about postmodern love, and Àngels de la memòria (at 9.30 and 10.30 p.m.), directed by Rocío Manzano, about the victims of the Spanish Civil War.

Cowbells, bells & a gamelan

If you are one of those people who are conquered by the ear, you know where to go on Museum Night: to Museu de la Música. In addition to open doors to the permanent exhibition, which is worth the price alone, there is a concert at 20.15 and 21. 15 in Room 1 of L’Auditori, three heavyweights of the most experimental sounds: the percussionist Núria Andorrà, an expert in the art of sound improvisation; the world-renowned musician and bell ringer Llorenç Barber (hey, you’ll also see him at the Grec) and the guitarist Fred Frith. Everything has to do with the installation Esquellòrium, by Núria Andorrà, which is activated in a very special way.

In addition, also at the Museu de la Música, Llorenç Barber himself, a real luxury, will be giving a performance in different areas of the Museum with the resident gamelan group, Gamelan Barasvara, dedicated to Indonesian music, at 10.30 p.m., 11.30 p.m. and midnight.

Classic tunes at the Antic Hospital de Sant Pau

The building designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, once the hospital services were over, is now a key piece of Barcelona’s architectural heritage. You can visit the building by registering, but as well as enjoying the architecture, you can also enjoy, if you like, classical music. At 7.30 p.m. there will be a soloist concert by Jove Camerata Orpheus and, at 8.30 p.m., a Lieder Jam session. Both activities will take place in the Lluís Domènech i Montaner Hall.

Remember there are many more proposals for Nit dels Museus. Check out the full programme and make your choice.