The Museu de Valls in Valls will open a new exhibition, "Francesc Blasi Vallespinosa (1872-1949). A Model Photo-Excursionist," on Friday, 24 October, at 7:30pm. This exhibition, co-organised with the Fundació Ciutat de Valls, the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya, and the Arxiu Municipal de Valls, recognises the importance of a prominent personality from the first half of the 20th century.
Blasi Vallespinosa was a versatile individual who excelled as an excursionist, photographer, industrialist, traveller, publicist, patron, and a pioneer of amateur cinema. He was also passionate about religious architectural heritage and Catalan popular culture.
More than 500 photographs taken by Blasi Vallespinosa are featured in the exhibition. These include around 100 previously unseen images of castells (human towers) by the Xiquets de Valls, according to exhibition organisers.
Blasi's Influence and Legacy
Francesc Blasi Vallespinosa achieved significant personal prestige during his lifetime. In the 1920s, his travel books revitalised a literary genre that was in decline in Catalan. His essay, Els castells dels Xiquets de Valls (1934, 1948, 1997), remains an essential reference for the casteller world.
This exhibition aims to celebrate Blasi Vallespinosa, whose writings and, especially, his photographic archive of over 17,000 images, have endured. Two main themes stand out in his photographs: the iconography of religious art, which is now irreplaceable for study due to much of it being destroyed during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), and images of natural and human landscapes that have since disappeared.
The exhibition is curated by Jep Martí, an archivist and researcher in 19th-century photography history. It features over 500 images, with particular emphasis on nearly 100 photos of Valls and another 100 of castells by the Xiquets de Valls from 1940-1948. Many of these images are previously unpublished and have been recovered from the photographer's extensive collection, largely preserved by the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya.
A Unique Photo-Excursionist
Francesc Blasi integrated photography with excursionism, viewing it as an intrinsic part of his travels. This approach led to him being described as a "photo-excursionist." The exhibition deliberately avoids categorising him as an amateur or domestic photographer, despite his extensive work in those areas.
His photographic work went beyond these labels. For most of his output, Blasi focused on documentary reporting. The exhibition aims to accurately reflect his unique perspective. Blasi's passion for excursionism took him across Catalonia, much of Spain, and Europe, as well as further afield to the Holy Land (1925), the United States (1926), and Soviet Russia (1928). He travelled to and photographed a vast number of cities, towns, and places.
Patronage and the Fundació Ciutat de Valls
Beyond his industrial work, Francesc Blasi was a dedicated contributor to the city of Valls. He acted as a patron during his life and, upon his death, left the funds necessary to create the Francesc Blasi Vallespinosa Foundation. This foundation later became the current Fundació Ciutat de Valls in 1984. He also donated his art collection, comprising around 20 works including oils and ceramics, to the Museu de Valls. Notable artists in this collection include Joan Llimona, Dionís Baixeras, Joan Colom, Ignasi Mallol, Jaume Mercadé, Iu Pascual, and Francesc Vayreda.
The exhibition offers a chance to explore the enduring legacy of Francesc Blasi Vallespinosa, ensuring his contributions to photography, culture, and the city of Valls are remembered and appreciated by new generations.
