EXHIBITION

 

CHALLENGE, GATHERING, TRIBUTE

Handcrafted concert guitars inspired by the work of J. L. Romanillos.

  

Held on 

16, 17, 18 June 2023

Centre Cultural El Carme
C. Francesc Layret, 78-82, Badalona
 

In June 2022, our association organised a concert in Badalona in memory of the luthier José Luis Romanillos, who had passed away a few months earlier. During that event, a luthier who had been a student of Romanillos challenged his colleagues to build a guitar inspired by the master's work and proposed to organise an exhibition with the instruments built in Badalona after a year. Ten luthiers accepted the CHALLENGE, they built a guitar and came to the GATHERING in Badalona to dedicate this very special TRIBUTE to their master.

 

The participating luthiers on their arrival in Badalona with their newly built guitars. From left to right: Antonio Manjón (from Badalona), Abel García López (Paracho, Michoacán, Mexico), Pablo Sánchez Otero, (A Coruña, Galicia, Spain), Mónica Esparza (California, USA), Josep Melo (Sabadell, Catalonia, Spain) , Liam Romanillos (United Kingdom), Andrés D. Marvi (Germany) Carlos Juan Busquiel (Petrer, Comunitat Valenciana, Spain), Tobias Braun (Austria) and Paolo Coriani (Italy). The exhibition also included a hand vihuela with a fluted back made by the luthier Jaume Bosser (Catalonia), who does not appear in the photograph because he was unable to attend the Festival, but lent the instrument for the exhibition.

 

 
PHOTO ALBUM:
 
Arrival of the guitar makers and placing of the guitars on display
 
(Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the image) 
 
 

CHALLENGE, GATHERING, TRIBUTE

The exhibition CHALLENGE, GATHERING, TRIBUTE has been a unique and unprecedented exhibition organized by the Badalona Guitar Association. Ten highly prestigious guitar makers from all over the world have voluntarily participated in it. One year ago they all accepted the CHALLENGE of building a concert guitar especially for this occasion, with the desire to pay homage to their master, the luthier Jose Luis Romanillos. The only requirement was that the instruments had to be replicas or at least have a significant part inspired by a guitar of their master.

At the exhibition, we were able to contemplate 11 guitars that were replicas or inspired by some of Romanillos' most famous guitars, such as Medio Siglo, Marian, La Culé or La Amistad.

 

THREE ROMANILLOS GUITARS
Along with his students' instruments, the exhibition also included three original guitars by Romanillos, Medio Siglo and Marian, courtesy of his widow Marian Harris, and la Culé, courtesy of Josep Melo.

A total of 14 guitars of great artistic value were exhibited on 16, 17 and 18 June 2023 at the El Carme Cultural Centre in Badalona. On the last day of the festival, in the afternoon, a closing concert was held in which all the guitars in the exhibition could be heard. At the end of the recital, the instruments were returned to their respective makers and the exhibition ended.

GENERAL DISCLOSURE
The exhibition also included an introductory section which explained in an educational way the process of creating a concert guitar according to the traditional construction technique which was the reference for Romanillos.
 
AUDIOVISUAL AND PUBLICATIONS AREA
Next to the exhibition there was an audiovisual area where images of the construction of the guitars on display were projected. Another area contained books by J. L. Romanillos and the Album Medio Siglo, recently produced and  published by Antigoni Goni. All of them could be consulted and purchased during the Festival.
 
AUDITION AREA
A stage at the far end of the exhibition hall made it possible to listen to the sound of the guitars on display, and to hold a concert with all of them.
 
 
 
 
 

  

PHOTO REPORT
 
The exhibition (1): Didactical introduction
 
 (Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the image)
 

  

 

PHOTO REPORT
 
The exhibition (2): visitors and ambience
  
 (Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the image)

 

  

PARTICIPATING LUTHIERS AND THEIR GUITARS

 

Click on the image of each luthier to open a new tab with information about their profile

and the characteristics of the guitar they have built for this exhibition.

 

Michoacán, Mexico.
Germany
Catalonia, Spain.
Valencian Community, Spain.
Catalonia, Spain.
Catalonia, Spain.
California, USA
Galicia, Spain.
Italy
Austria

  

 

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