Imagine yourself walking through a tunnel of lush, green trees. Imagine dancing in a summer snowfall of cascading blossom. You look to your left: a golden woman lifts a parasol to shield you from spinning-tops rotating through the air. Her face is kind but she has a mischievous glint in her eye. You avoid holding her gaze for too long – she’s in role, after all. A man stands motionless, bedraggled and windswept – his tie and briefcase as starchy as his punked-up hair.
Are you living in some sort of alternative universe? It’s possible. But you could just be experiencing Barcelona’s essence – the Catalan capital of creative culture. It doesn’t need any formal introduction…
Despite the upsurge of unemployment in Spain, on the back of the ongoing economic recession, Barcelona’s true spirit is far from diminishing. You only have to glance across a typical street and you’ll find alfresco diners enjoying tapas and good company; dynamic and creative independent bistros; bars and boutiques – and owners and staff who are far from despondent. Included in this smorgasbord of independent and entrepreneurial spirit, is Jorge with Thrinidad Designs (situated just off the upper north-west of La Rambla, closest to Catalunya Square).
This might be indicative of the nature of the human spirit. When times are tough, we tap into our truth – the reserves we might otherwise have ‘saved until later’ – and the magic begins here.
“Creativity” can be defined as “the ability to transcend traditional ideas and rules, to create meaningful new ideas.”
And if ever there was a more crucial time to rise above certain realities, it’s now. If your current reality leaves a lot to be desired – create your own reality, right?
Street performance in Barcelona has earned itself a bit of a reputation worldwide – despite a fairly limited number of busking permits being handed out to aspiring artists in Barcelona there’s a vibrant community of people managing to earn their living as well as contributing to the lively pulse of this city. Distinguished travelling bands including the infamous Gadjo can often be seen near Arc de Triomf, the Port area and in the Gothic.
Barcelona’s vibrancy and dynamic nature undoubtedly speaks for itself. Visual expression exists literally everywhere here. Situated just off La Rambla in one of Barcelona’s epicentres of culture, Centre de la Imatge is a purely audio-visual exhibition focused entirely on the organic relationship occurring between musical artists and us, as listeners. ‘This is not a Love Song’, compiled and presented by a cohort of talented artists, producers and popular culture scholars, and headed up by Javier Panera, takes us on an intriguing journey suggesting that sonic forms can transport us to another universe in visceral ways we might not be aware of. Articulating the stuff that we possibly fumble to find the words for, ‘This is not a Love Song’ is an interactive audio-visual experience.
So, throw out your tour-book and follow the natural flow of energy around Barcelona. You could also head to Sitges, just a short train ride from the city – and you’ll find the home of newly opened Institute of Arts, affiliated by none other than Sir Paul McCartney and housed in an interesting building, originally intended to be used for Audi/Volkswagen. Possibly a sign of a shift in priorities, with a derelict auto-manufacturing factory being converted for use dedicated to the arts, it’s a contention that still remains.
How much does art actually sustain us?
The answer is up to you.
Text by Melz Durston
