Barcelona's Forum
Yesterday we finally made it to the Forum - using up the first day of our 3-day pass.We had a great day - it was sunny, but there was a breeze coming off the water that made the heat manageable. The Chinese warrior exhibition was well curated, with an introductory video giving us the historical context before the screen went up to reveal the exhibition pieces.
Whilst the Forum complex seemed relatively uncrowded - the exhibitions we saw were popular. Fortunately we didn't have to wait in line for anything. That said - I've been told that in the weekend people have to wait an hour or more to see exhibitions or shows.
There is no question that the whole area is a valuable addition to Barcelona - a new port, a conference centre, and probably a collection of bars, restaurants and discos once access is free.
That the Forum hasn't lived up to expectations is a topic that has been widely reported in the media. It's hard to know what went wrong - but a quick assessment is that the sum of the parts adds up to more than the value people have attached to this new style of event. In other words, you might be drawn by the music, the performances, the exhibitions, the dialogues or one of the conferences, but somehow the package doesn't quite make it a must see.
We'll go back to see some of the music and performances - so the reduced pass for the evening was certainly a good idea.
