Six years ago the Bulevard Rosa gallery said goodbye to Barcelona closing its shutters forever, but today, the space returns as an immersive museum that rediscovers the Catalan culture in a different way;
Through the ten spaces created by national and international artists, White Rabbit offers visitors a slutty, fun and innovative experience. Inspired by the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, the little animal’s burrow becomes art “to discover the real Barcelona“.
The exhibition features artists such as Carles Piera, Mina Hamana, and Enric Planas that allow to relive scenes and symbols of the cultural history of Catalonia. The Vives family, together with friends, exchanged ideas for months until they defined the central idea. They wanted to show an immersive experience to reveal local curiosities avoiding the sensation of emptiness or the classical approach with paintings and sculptures. Thus, they decided to combine both worlds to embrace the diversity of art.
We have selected from street art, sculpture, virtual reality and LED screen in each space, putting together the local culture,” explains Quique Vives, director of the space.
To be part of the great icons
In the heart of Passeig de Gràcia, next to emblematic buildings such as La Pedrera or Casa Amatller, the museum hopes that both the local and international public will venture to explore Catalan culture. That neighbors come and feel proud of the space created because “as much as they know the Caganer or Capgròs, they can reinterpret and enjoy them,” says Vives.
Mina Hamada’s Xivarri room, which evokes letting out the child in us.
The Catalan folklore is creatively represented in each room, from the magical night that welcomes the summer to the team spirit when creating human towers. In this way, Mina Hamada invites you to enter her Xivarri room to let the energy flow while enjoying being surrounded by vibrant colors, dragons or giants. Carles Piera and Enric Planes have collaborated to bring the latter, the Capgrossos, along with the mythical Caganer.
This exhibition has to stay 3 years, small changes can be made over time, but it has enough quality to stay that way. I tell you, we have come to stay.- explains Vives.
The huge bigheads run through the streets representing our past and present amidst the bustle and singing. For the holidays you can just look at them and enjoy, but White Rabbit invites you to change your identity by getting inside their heads. As for the funniest figure in the nativity scene, the Catalan artists wanted to showcase the art of an icon that never fails at Christmas. The two-meter sculpture is bathed in gold color, and they wanted to show him as a mythological being.
From left to right: Caganer by Carles Piera, L’ou com balla and Capgrossos by Enric Planas.
Soccer is also a key piece in the identity of Barcelona, and TVBOY knows that in the beautiful game there is a fine line of graffiti that separates love and hate. The Italian artist brings the Petó between Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi, along with a rose and a book, representing the day of Sant Jordi. In addition, the legend of the knight and the dragon can be experienced with the VR glasses in the Enxaneta. room.
The artwork of ‘The Kiss’ between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo by the Italian artist TvBoy
“For us it was important to have artists linked to the city. Even if they were not born here, but they bring their interpretation through their art” explains Vives.
Artificial intelligence that transforms tradition
Through artificial intelligence, the Onionlab studio takes you on a journey through such characteristic elements as the fountains of Montjuic, the vitralls and the trencadís. The audiovisual piece Esclat traces the colors revealed by the light as it passes through the vitralls, as well as Gaudí’s trencadís mosaics. All this ends as water flows through the fountains of Montjuic. The music of the night in the Catalan capital is also present with Farra by Playmodes in collaboration with Razzmatazz. In the room, the movements with the rhythm of the music are reflected and reinterpreted in a virtual way.
From left to right: Bocabadat of Fura dels Baus, that recalls the Olympic Games of Barcelona in 1992, Esclat of Onionlab and Foc of Vitamin Studio.
This new bet of art and entertainment is a renewal that transforms as if it were an old phoenix. It is consumed by burning, but something new begins, and that brings VitaminStudio with Foc. The fire of the night of Sant Joan takes over the room where, through algorithms, images are created by Bocabadat by Fura dels Baus, which recalls the 92 Barcelona Olympic Games, Esclat by Onionlab and Foc by Vitamin Studio.nes infinite that make you feel and live, blurring the boundary between digital and real. Thus, the old Bulevard Rosa became ashes to give life to the local culture from the heart of Barcelona.
The museum will be open from Monday to Sunday from 10.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.
