New traveling art exhibit inspired by near-death experience comes to Tampa

TAMPA, Fla — A new traveling art exhibit is on display at The Portico in downtown Tampa this month. It’s not only a celebration of an architectural marvel, but also a celebration of life.

“From all the art I have seen, these pieces have movements to them, they have dimensions to them, they have spirit to them, they have an energy to them, and you can feel that as a viewer without knowing anything about art, they speak to you,” said curator Antonio Permuy.

The new exhibit is called “Sacred Pilgrimage, Gaudí and Galban”

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Permuy says, the only thing more fascinating than the art itself is the story behind it.

“This is an exhibition that had started pretty dramatically, it began with the artist Galban, traveling to his favorite place on the planet which is La Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona,” said Permuy.

While touring the basilica with family, artist Dr. Edel Alvarez Galban says he began experiencing chest pains, forcing him to take a break. That’s when he saw the basilica like he had never seen it before.

“I started paying attention and I put it all together, this is a rooster over here, I never paid attention to a rooster or a lizard or snails,” said Galban, referring to all the detailed sculptures scattered throughout the sacred site.

When Galban returned home to Tampa Bay, he was shocked to find out he had suffered a heart attack.

“I don’t know how I didn’t die, that is the question that everybody asks, it was a miracle; it was a miracle,” said Galban. “They say that I was kind of possessed by Gaudi or whatever, this is a mystery, I was supposed to be in a hospital, and I was doing a whole tour, the cardiologists, they didn’t know what happened and they are very surprised I survived.”

“He committed himself to painting the experiences he felt, so he painted a series of paintings, more than 20 works, to express his appreciation and inspiration from La Sagrada Familia, from Antoni Gaudi the architect, and really honor all of that,” said Permuy.

Peter Hauerstein, a vice president with the American Institute of Architects Florida, has studied La Sagrada Familia for more than 30 years. He says he’s never seen the basilica captured with a paintbrush quite like this. Included alongside many of the paintings are photos of the real-life sculptures that inspired them.

“He had this near-death experience, but he takes it and twists it in a way where he realizes it’s all about life right, you look at his work and you look at the sculptures that are on the La Sagrada Familia, and then you see the colorfulness in his work, and the life that is in his work is really inspiring,” said Hauerstein.

The traveling exhibit will be on display at The Portico throughout August until it moves to its next destination in Largo, continuing across the state and beyond.

“We want this to end in a climactic way that brings it back to the beginning, the origins of the entire story, which means we have to end it in Barcelona,” said Permuy.