Article published in Journal of Catalunya (24/11/2009).
The conquest of the sea emerges in the Maritime Museum
Jules Verne and his book began 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea : "It was in 1866 when a news ...». Surely the writer, well documented through subscriptions, had knowledge of the launching of Narcís Ictineu 1 Monturiol, seven years ago in the port of Barcelona. "The story of Captain Nemo is the story of Monturiol when he canceled the project. Nemo can only be inspired by Monturiol "Pere Forès heart adventure, industrial designer Ictineu 3, in less than a year the first scientific underwater Spain. Now, to commemorate the Year Monturiol, and the 150 th anniversary of the launch of I ctineu 1 , the Barcelona Maritime Museum presents an ambitious exhibition in order to recover the fascination with the unknown and pay tribute to the scientific revolution. A curiosity materialized through various civil submersible, outlined in a statement also adventure to recover the sensory experience of the Sea and dreams projected in the imaginary sea. The trip entitled Immersion! Monturiol fons i la Conquesta the sea opens its doors Monday, and has since yesterday at the Museu de l'Empordà complete vision mentary Figueres centered visionary utopia that turned into reality.
"There is more information from Mars to the bottom of sea, "recalls Fo res. The cie ntíficos estimate has been explored only 5-10% of the world's oceans. In 1960 the bathyscaphe Trieste reached 11,000 meters, the maximum depth of the seas, and in 1969 he stepped on the moon. And since then? Did you miss your interest? "In 1948, when he rebuked the underwater exploration, there were only two submarines for scientific applications, those of Monturiol. Since 1948 it has built more than 500 undersea exploration, "says Forès adding: "One thing is that they have resources and another is that it has lost its fascination. E l sea is the great frontier that we need to explore. " Joan A. Forès i Jané, curator of the exhibition and the father of Pere For ès, agrees: "It is more obscure and challenging the depth of the seas to go to outer space. And it's more complicated to go down than up. " The exhibition testifies to the efforts, sometimes suicidal, to illuminate the abyssal plains and great value "for future generations" of all information Monturiol bequeathed Unlike the many adventurers who plunged into the abyss with his crew.
SUBMERSION / / Pere Forès has collected Monturiol witness. Years preparing to build the Ictineu 3 and as Monturiol and other inventors, it finds more obstacles on the ground that under the surface. "We were the first in the world to solve the underwater navigation and now we are in the queue," laments Peter Forès. And complaint: "Our country has missed the boat scanning the sea floor. N e are opening an industrial sector in Catalunya there but in neighboring countries. The field of underwater technology moves into the world 26,000 million euros per year and is expected to move in two years more than 40,000. "
Para sa
car forward the draft Ictineu 3 the designer has visited more than 600 pe ople . "For a while most of the company's efforts were intended to fill roles," he admits. The project budget is around two million euros and "2% of the project has been financed with public funding." "Monturiol spent the equivalent of six million euros, "reveals Peter Forès, although the Empordà also suffered political apathy and Ictineu 2 was seized and scrapped. Now the exhibition explains the history of exploration of the deep, though, as re Forès known Pere 'at the bottom of the sea are still many worlds to discover. " If so, if Captain Nemo still inhabits the ocean, his adopted country, hopefully I can calm down hatred in his fiery heart! May the contemplation of so many wonders extinguished in him the spirit of vengeance! That the righteous it is clear that the wise and continue the peaceful exploration of the seas! If your destination is strange, is also sublime.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea . Jules Verne.
