The performance, framed within the Gaudí Year celebrations, was met with discomfort by entities and citizens concerned about the weak usage of Catalan in the country. The organizers' argument about the intention to exhibit the work outside Catalonia has failed to convince critics, who believe the mother tongue of the honored figure should have been respected.
The script for the show, intended as an artistic and biographical recreation, was prepared by the Federación Española de Patinaje (Spanish Skating Federation). Critics argue that both the Diputació de Tarragona and the Reus City Council (specifically the Sports and Culture departments, led by the PSC and ERC respectively) failed to supervise the content beforehand.
Having respected the mother tongue of the honored figure, which he always defended, would have meant a step forward towards linguistic normalization.
The lack of control resulted in historical errors and inappropriate use of Catalan, turning the show into a "travesty of a NO-DO chapter." Political parties such as Junts, the CUP, and even ERC expressed their disagreement with the event's management.
It is recalled that Gaudí always defended his mother tongue, even before King Alfonso XIII, believing that a head of state should know all the country's languages. The potential exhibition of the work outside Catalonia will lead viewers to believe that the architect habitually spoke Spanish, which is inaccurate.
