Friday 24, 20.00. While in the city of Barcelona, the majority of commercial establishments were lowering their shutters, a neighbourhood in Barcelona began to beat strongly. It was the start of a party, a different, artistically eclectic open night, where creativity has no borders because it combines architecture, painting, sculpture, gastronomy, industry, technology, audiovisual, theatre, music… More than 57 spaces open their doors and, until 1 a.m., invite visitors to get to know them.
A host of artistic and culinary activities are designed to surprise visitors.
Poblenou has turned its industrial past into an area of creation, and its old factories are just another element of the artistic landscape. For the last five years, the Poblenou Urban District has been dynamising this area and turning it into a centre of cultural interest two days a year with Open Night and Open Day, organising various activities with the aim of making it known. We talked to its alma mater, Claudia Costa, director of the La Plataforma exhibition hall and co-director of Poblenou Urban District together with Gloria Morera.
Horse – Poblenou Open Night is much more than an open night or, if we want to put it another way, it is not what comes to mind when we think of an open night….
Claudia.- The idea was to organise a creative open night using the shopping night as a model and contrast, in the sense of party applied to art.
H.- To understand this whole universe of art and creativity that ranges from interventions in Markets to research laboratories; from hotels and restaurants to art galleries, concerts and shows …, perhaps we should start by defining Poblenou Urban District, which is the organising entity …
C.- We created the Poblenou Urban District 5 years ago to turn it into a creative and strategic area of the city. We talked about a factory environment, as if it were the Manchester of Catalonia, which later became the technological district with 22 @, which now occupies the empty spaces and uses them to establish a creative community that includes all disciplines.It is a private non-profit association that aims to give visibility to the creative community that is working here.
H.- What will a visitor who has come to the 4 previous editions find again?
C.- A very interesting art proposal. Different artistic disciplines, many of which will be performed on the spot, live interventions where the public will be able to meet and talk to the artists.
“Different artistic disciplines, many of which will be performed on the spot, live interventions where the public will be able to meet and talk to the artists”.
H.- You say that the keys to understanding the latest trends in the district are the Windows Art Circuit and the Makerspaces Circuit. What are they?
C.- The Windows Art Circuit is a platform where 17 illustrators and muralists create their works live in different spaces of the neighbourhood: art galleries, production studios, restaurants, showrooms, museums, theatres, concert halls, hotels… It is a tour where their ephemeral work will remain visible for 5 days.
Makerspaces Circuit is the maker concept that allows everyone to design and produce their own objects. They are workshops open to the public that show us how we can design, develop and manufacture our own product digitally through 3D printing or laser cutting with the help of multidisciplinary professionals. In the Poblenou neighbourhood we already have more than 7 fab labs fab labs and we want this circular economy and manufacturing movement to have more visibility. One example is the Institute for Advanced Architecture led by Tomas Díez who came to us to work together on manufacturing techniques.
H.- And how to seduce a citizen who has never been here before?
C.- The neighbourhood itself is already seductive because it is buzzing… we also have maps (programmes) where you can choose the route that interests you most: art, makerspaces, experiences, gastronomy…
H.– Barcelona is a very lively city, very creative … Is it easy to carry out projects like this one, which flee from conventions?
C.– It is very difficult to get projects like this off the ground. Sometimes it seems that culture is a luxury and not a necessity. And if you are doing a new approach, even more so. We present a new experience proposal through creative and artistic events.
“We present a new experience proposal through creative and artistic events”.
H.– This event is a pole of attraction, but during the rest of the year, how do you manage to attract the public?
C.– Through social media and our website. We publish two annual maps Open day and Open Night with the activities that take place in the district. On the website poblenouurbandistrict.com you can find all the programme of the galleries, theatres, museums, music halls…, the menus of the restaurants! And in addition, we have three annual activities and those generated by each of the spaces. I, for example, like La Plataforma, every month and a half I inaugurate an exhibition; a different artistic proposal. There are many synergies between the whole community.
H.– In which European cities could you compare yourselves with events of this kind? I can think of Berlin, for example, but wow, you’re the expert …
C.– I think we have our own characteristics. Each city has its own rules. London, Berlin and Amsterdam, for example, have much more facilities for issuing licences, giving visibility to spaces… They have stronger economic stakes and work differently. They start a project and finish it. We have to present it every year. We can’t compare… They have a structure that we don’t have. Barcelona is a beautiful city with many possibilities. There is no lack of creativity. What is lacking is the budget to provide an outlet for all this artistic capacity.
H.– What if we go further?
C.- The Wynwood Art District in Miami has been an example of how to turn an industrial area into an artistic one. We were inspired by them. The problem is that now the WAD has become a theme park.
H.– How do you see the immediate future of this neighbourhood?
C.– As I said, we need more investment, but we have a powerful project and a persevering team… I am optimistic because these innovative proposals are the ones that persist in the long run.
