Catalan Institute of America

Catalan Classes for Adults

webmaster — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:01:46 +0000

Starting soon! We’re planning to offer both beginner and intermediate levels.

VISIT THE COURSE REGISTRATION PAGE FOR DETAILS AND PRICES.

Animeu als vostres amics de parla no catalana!
Ajudeu-nos a aconseguir un bon nombre d’estudiants
Data d’inici s’anunciarà aviat! més informació

CAGATIÓ 2011

webmaster — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:58:38 +0000

A Catalan Christmas tradition – Open to Everybody

Saturday Dec 17th from 11am to 1pm

ROGER SMITH HOTEL
501 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York

(IF NOT RESERVED YET)
RSVP rsvp@friendsofcatalonia.com

Thank you for RSVP by Wed Dec 14^th with the NAME and AGE of every participating kid. After this date, we cannot guarantee presents for everybody

SUGGESTED DONATION: $10 /kid; $5/adult

PROGRAM:

11:00-12:00- brunch, workshop and storytelling

12:00-01:00- Christmas carols and “Caga Tió

The Catalan tradition of CAGA TIÓ

On Christmas Eve, Catalan children receive their gifts and treats not from Santa Claus, but rather from El Tió. The Caga Tió is a smiley face log that you will find in Catalan homes from the Feast of the Immaculate Conception until Christmas Eve

Catalan children are not passive participants in receiving their gifts. Unlike many other children who simply go to sleep with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads and awake to gifts. Catalan children have to work hard for their gifts. While singing a traditional Caga Tió song, they use sticks to beat the Caga Tió until he poops their gifts! Yes, you read that right – the Caga Tió poops gifts and sweets. In case you don’t know Catalan, “cagar” is to poop. So, a “Caga Tió” is the Poop Log. Cute, huh. Well, I do think those smiling little Caga Tiós are quite sweet, so we just had to have one in our house. My kids adore their Caga Tió. They treat him like a pet, making sure he is warm and well fed.

(from a text by Jennifer Lo Prete)

Catalan Cinema in New York this December

webmaster — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 17:00:31 +0000

THE INSTITUT RAMON LLULL PRESENTS: CATALAN CINEMA IN NEW YORK

SPANISH CINEMA NOW FESTIVAL

During the upcoming week, several Catalan movies will be screened as part of the SPANISH CINEMA NOW FESTIVAL at the Lincoln Center (December 9-22).

Among others, New York audiences will have an opportunity to enjoy the Catalan film PA NEGRE (BLACK BREAD), by Agustí Villaronga, which is the official Spanish candidate to the Oscars, or the documentary BARCELONA, ABANS QUE EL TEMPS HO ESBORRI (BARCELONA BEFORE), by Mireia Ros. Also featured is LOS PASOS DOBLES (DOUBLE STEPS) by Isaki Lacuesta, winner of the Golden Conch, the top prize at the San Sebastián Film Festival 2011.

BARCELONA, ABANS QUE EL TEMPS HO ESBORRI (BARCELONA BEFORE)

Mireia Ros, 2011

Sunday Dec 11, 4:45 pm
Saturday Dec 17, 2:45 pm
Q&A with director Mireia Ros after the December 11 show
Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center

PA NEGRE (BLACK BREAD)

Agustí Villaronga, 2010

Friday, Dec 16, 6:45pm

Q&A with actress Nora Navas and producer Isona Passola after the December 16 show
Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center

LOS PASOS DOBLES (DOUBLE STEPS)

Isaki Lacuesta, 2011

Thursday, Dec 15, 7:00pm
Tuesday Dec 20, 2:00pm

Director Isaki Lacuesta, screenwriter Isa Campo, and producer Luisa Matienzo in attendance at December 15 screening

Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center

The above Q&A’s were made possible thanks to the support of the Institut Ramon Llull.

For more information visit:
www.filmlinc.com/films/series/spanish-cinema-now, and see documents in attachment.

(S)MOVIES

At the same time, (S)MOVIES, an international conference on Contemporary Spanish and Catalan Cinema, is also taking place in New York from December 12-17. Organized by the Universitat Politècnica de València and the Consulate General of Spain in New York, it has
received support from the Institut Ramon Llull, and is part of the Catalan Days series.

The program includes lectures, roundtables, presentations, screenings and a short movie series. Among others, producer Isona Passola and actress Nora Navas will be debating the topic Pa Negre and the Devastation that War Causes in Society. The debate will be moderated by Nekane E. Zubiaur.

Other roundtables, debates and screenings will feature Isaki Lacuesta, José Luis Guerín, Jordi Balló, Josep M. Català, among others.

For more information visit: www.creatingconvergence.com/smovies/.

THE FORGOTTEN SPANISH NON-FICTION CINEMA AND ITS RENEWAL

Finally, from December 8-14, the New York Film Archives, with the support of the Consulate General of Spain in New York and the Institut Ramon Llull, will be presenting THE FORGOTTEN SPANISH NON-FICTION CINEMA AND ITS RENEWAL.

Filmmakers José Luis Guerin and Isaki Lacuesta will be present to discuss their films in person. Lacuesta will be there for the screenings of his work on Sunday and Monday, December 11 & 12. Guerin will be there on Tuesday, December 13 for a Q&A following WORK IN PROGRESS and will introduce the screening of CORRESPONDENCE.

For more information visit:
http://anthologyfilmarchives.org/film_screenings/series/38308.

Catalan Shots: A Discussion with Joan Fontcuberta and Agustí Torres

webmaster — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 12:27:22 +0000

Monday, November 28
6PM-8PM

Tisch School of the Arts NYU
Riese Family Lounge
721 Broadway, at Waverly Place – Ground Floor
New York, NY 10003

The Department of Photography and Imaging in the Kanbar Institute of Film and Television at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, in collaboration with the Institut Ramon Llull will host the event Catalan Shots: A Discussion with Joan Fontcuberta and Agustí Torres. Fred Ritchin, professor and associate chair of the Department of Photography and Imaging will moderate the discussion.

Both renowned artists, Joan Fontcuberta from Barcelona and Agustí Torres from the Balearic Islands, have developed significant international careers and have exhibited their work in museums worldwide. They will talk about their work as well as debate the question of photographic reality and photography’s role in the perpetuation of cultural assumptions.

The event will be held on Monday, November 28, 2011, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Riese Family Lounge at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, 721 Broadway (at Waverly Place), ground floor. Admission is free and open to the public but a photo ID is required when entering the building. For further information, call 212.998.1930, or visit www.photo.tisch.nyu.edu.

This event is part of the Catalan Days festival (www.llull.cat/catalandays), produced by the Institut Ramon Llull to promote Catalan culture and taking place in New York City from September through December 2011. Founded in 2002, the Institut Ramon Llull (www.llull.cat) is a consortium created by the governments of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands with the objective of promoting Catalan language and culture abroad.

The Department of Photography & Imaging is an intensive four-year BFA program centered on the making and understanding of images. It is a diverse department embracing multiple perspectives. The students work in virtually all modes of analog, digital, and multimedia photo-based image making, exploring photo-based imagery as personal and cultural expression. For further information, visit www.photo.tisch.nyu.edu.

FILM: GARBO THE SPY

webmaster — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:48:26 +0000

NOVEMBER 18-24, 2011
Quad Cinemas, 34 West 13th Street, New York
1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7:15pm and 9:30pm

November 18 and 19:

Q&A after the 7:15pm screening, and a brief presentation before the 9:30pm screening

November 20: Q&A after the 5pm screening

“Garbo:The Spy,” tells the story of the life of Juan Pujol Garcia, a Barcelona-born man who deserted during the Spanish Civil War and, despite never again enlisting in an army, managed to fabricate a network of phantom agents across Europe to become one of the most important spies and notorious double agents in World War II. Juan Pujol even convinced Nazi officers that the Normandy invasion was a diversion and that the bulk of the invasion would take place miles away near Pas de Calais, weakening German defenses. The film illustrates how, and why, Juan Pujol, a double agent who was nicknamed “Garbo” by the British and “Alaric” by the Third Reich, came to earn the trust of the intelligence communities of both sides and change the course of the second World War.

More info:

http://firstrunfeatures.com/garbothespy/

Panellets confirmed!

webmaster — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 23:32:55 +0000

We will have the luxury of professionally made Panellets in New York, thanks to our retired pastry chef Josep Pujol who will prepare assorted most traditional Catalan Panellets. Don’t forget to thank him for his effort one more year

Panellets (Catalan pronunciation: [pənəˈʎɛts], Catalan for “little bread”) are the traditional dessert of the All Saints holiday, the Castanyada, in Catalonia, Eivissa or the Land of Valencia, together with chestnuts and sweet potatoes. Panellets are often accompanied by a sweet wine, usually moscatell, mistela, vi de missa or vi ranci. Panellets are small cakes or cookies in different shapes, mostly round, made mainly of marzipan (a paste made of almonds and sugar). The most popular are the panellets covered with pine nuts, consisting of the panellet basis (i.e. marzipan) rolled in pine nuts and varnished with egg white

rsvp: rsvp@friendsofcatalonia.com

kindly respond with ‘BRUNCH’ o ‘CHESTNUTS Only’

For more details see the event announcement

CASTANYADA 2011

webmaster — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 18:22:52 +0000

Saturday November 12
from 2 to 6 pm
1492
60 Clinton St, New York, NY

rsvp: rsvp@friendsofcatalonia.com
please kindly respond with ‘BRUNCH’ or ‘CHESTNUTS Only’
…………………………………..
2pm – (optional) BRUNCH
FIX PRICE MENU
$35 (tax tip included)
…………………………………..
4pm – CHESTNUTS
Roasted at 1492′s Patio
+ Panellets (*)
+ Moscatell
Complimentary
(a donation will be suggested particularly for the Panellets)
(*) Panellets not confirmed yet
…………………………………..

Directions
60 Clinton St, New York, NY
nr. Rivington St. See Map | Subway Directions
New York, NY 10002

La Castanyada : A Catalan Tradition
The Catalan tradition of “La Castanyada,” or chestnut festival, on the eve of All Saints’ Day represents, to my mind, some of the best qualities of a true Catalan celebration: a deep respect for the wannth of friendship, food, and togetherness, just as summer is truly over and winter is on its way. It is a quiet festival in comparison to other Catalan pursuits such as the firecracker-spitting devils and dragons of summer holidays Of the costumed Carnival parades in the week before Lent, but though reserved, it is still often relished, if only for a chance to relax with friends and enjoy traditional harvest treats: roast chestnuts, yams, sweet moscatel wine, and marzipan-like delicacies caned “panellets.”

Fall is a time when even the streets of a large metropolis like Barcelona were once full of chestnut vendors, roasting the fall staple over open flres and serving them in cones of old newspaper for a couple hundred pesetas. The rieh aroma and makeshift nature of these stalls brought much the same sense of surprise as do the candied almond sellers on the bustling sidewalks of New York today. In fact, sources on the Internet still speak fondly of “la castanyera,” or chestnut vendor, dressed in a long woolen skirt with a long, white scarf tied tightly to her waist and head, roasting chestnuts in a clay funnel called a “copa.”

But other, more superstitious rituals, have been part of All Saints as well. Falling forty days after the fall equinox, All Saints has always marked the time to celebrate the changing seasons, the time when “Nature becomes lethargic, near dead, and humans know shortages, darkness, and cold.” From the ancient Greeks, Mediterranean countries inherited the belief that the first two days of November was when the ghosts of the dead would return to earth to speak again to their beloved. Thus, even in Catalonia, All Saints has also been a time to visit the cemetery, leave flowers at the tombs, and welcome the spirits home.

These days it’s the making of “panellets” that is more likely to capture the attention of Catalan children. Online you can find Ivan and Francese’s passionate explanation of how to make the sweets, translated at their grade school as “Halloween Catalan Cakes.”

Nonetheless, Pla begins his essay “Days of Chestnuts: Some Memories” with a confession: he’s not a huge fan of chestnuts. Still, he values his country’s custom for, when all is said and done: “Now is the time to celebrate the castanyada. We take time to note such familiar festivals on the calendar not only for their importance but for what we eat and drink celebrating them. Marzipan is excessively sweet and thick. Panellets, even those made with pine nuts, are a little oily. Chestnuts cling to and clog up one’s tongue. Sweet wine is heavy. But things of substance are now what one’s inner life demands, to balance out the summer.”

(From a text by Hillary Gardner)

CONCEPTS: CONCEPTUAL ARTISTS FROM THE BALEARIC ISLANDS

webmaster — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:41:34 +0000

From the Mediterranean to New York, Concepts take shape at The Gabarron this November.

Eight renowned artists endeavor beyond the formalist artistic tradition of the Balearic Islands in an exhibition where Conceptual Art is proposed as an expression of the soul…at the Carriage House Center for the Arts, November 3rd to the 29th.

The Gabarron Foundation, 149 East 38th Street

ANOTHER WONDERFUL EVENT within CATALAN DAYS FESTIVAL PRODUCED BY THE INSTITUT RAMON LLULL.

FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS: WWW.LLULL.CAT/CATALANDAYS

See everyone there!

Concert: The Travels of Tirant Lo Blanch

webmaster — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:28:52 +0000

October 20, 2011 at 1pm
Elebash Recital Hall, Graduate Center-CUNY
365 Fifth Ave btwn 34th & 35th St, New York, NY 10016
Information: 212.817.7000
www.brookcenter.gc.cuny.edu/the-travels-of-tirant-lo-blanch

Capella de Ministrers’ performance of The Travels of Tirant lo Blanch will be presented at the Elebash Recital Hall in the Graduate Center-CUNY on October 20. A musical ensemble founded in 1987 by its director Carles Magraner, the group plays pre-nineteenth century vocal and instrumental music on period instruments. The ensemble combines performing, recording, and musicological research, and has garnered international recognition.

This concert is part of the music series Music in Midtown at the CUNY Graduate Center. In collaboration with The Foundation for Iberian Music and The Mompou Chair for Catalan Music at the Graduate Center – CUNY.

——-

“It is the whole novel. It’s a fantastic, social, erotic, psychological tale of chivalry: all of those things at the same time and none of these exclusively.” —Mario Vargas Llosa (Nobel Prize, 2010)

Carles Magraner attended conservatories in Valencia and Carcaixent. As a professor of the cello, Magraner specializes in baroque cello and viola da gamba and has participated in early and baroque music courses at the Universidad Internacional Menédez Pelayo and the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía among others. Additionally, Magraner has collaborated with many orchestras and early music ensembles, and is the director and founder of the Capella de Ministrers.

Founded in 1987, Capella de Ministrers strives to connect centuries of history and art with the present through historically-informed performances with period instruments. The ensemble has participated in numerous festivals and has performed in prestigious venues in Spain as well as around the world. In addition, the group has collaborated with film and theatre directors and has produced forty records with EGT, Blau, Audivis, and CDM (the Capella de Ministrers’ own label).

THIS CONCERT IS PART OF THE CATALAN DAYS FESTIVAL PRODUCED BY THE INSTITUT RAMON LLULL.

Roundtable discussion: Language Policies – why do they matter?

webmaster — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:13:24 +0000

The Ph.D. Program in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Literatures and Languages and the Mercè Rodoreda Chair at the Graduate Center, City University of New York presents:

Language Policies – why do they matter?

Monday, October 24, 2011
6:00pm Roundtable discussion
8:00pm Reception

Proshansky Auditorium
The Graduate Center, CUNY
365 Fifth Avenue
Concourse Level
New York, New York 10016

RSVP: hlbl@gc.cuny.edu before October 19, 2011

Language has always been one of the main symbols of cultural identity within a community. Throughout modern history, nation-states have developed and implemented language policies designed to promote one official language or defend the rights of minorities.

Today, language policies still remain on top of the agenda for many policy makers and scholars. How should the new generation of policy makers take into account issues such as immigration, cultural diversity and globalization in the drafting and implementation of language laws for the 21st century ?

Join us for an insightful and thought-provoking roundtable discussion which will include specialists from the Basque Country, Catalonia, Flanders, Québec and Wales, moderated by journalist and author Robert Lane Greene and featuring Matilde Roman, Deputy Commissioner/General Counsel of the New York City’s Mayor Office of Immigrant Affairs.

This event is co-sponsored by the Delegation of the Basque Country in the United States, the Delegation of Catalonia, Flanders House New York, the Institut Ramon Llull, the Québec Government Office in New York City and the Welsh Government in New York. Special thanks to the City of New York, Department of Immigrant Affairs.

Take a look at the invitation!