Barcelona. Let’s do it again – recycle!

We’ve all wearily entered some hardwood studded office or a lavish corporate fair, designed to encourage us to forget the grind, economic woes, to buy, invest, network, and be generally impressed.  Internationally there are innumerable fairs and office renovations every week, the set up, break down, and maybe most importantly, the waste, isn’t really something the public considers.   What happens to all those temporary walls, the miles of carpeting, the signage? Read the rest of this entry »

With a Probability of Being Seen.

With a Probability of Being Seen. Dorothee and Konrad Fischer.
Archives of an attitude.

MACBA, Barcelona

Sometimes a small action will end up influencing a generation. In other cases, it will help to create it. In October 1967 Konrad Fischer, until this point known as the painter Konrad Lueg, opened a space for art in a previously gated passageway in Düsseldorf. Intentionally avoiding the word “gallery,” he called it “At Konrad Fischer’s.” This 10-meter by 3-meter passageway, spatially recreated as part of the exhibition at MACBA and used to exhibit a work by Richard Long tellingly titled “Sculpture for Konrad Fischer,” became the springboard for the careers of countless artists, the list of which now reads like the encyclopedia of Minimal and Conceptual art. Read the rest of this entry »

Barcelona Beyond Sonar

Barcelona already has a reputation for a good party, but when Catalunyans call it “the wildest night of the year”, you know you’re onto something.  If you’re going to make it to Barcelona for Sonar, you should think about staying for a few more days and celebrating the Feast of Sant Joan, Barcelona style.  The “feast”, which celebrates the Summer Solstice, takes place on the 23rd, with the actual fest day being the 24th.  Fire is an essential element in the celebration, along with water and herbs, and the element you’re most likely to see and hear. Seen as a purifying element, Catalans know this night as the ‘Nit del Foc’ or night of fire, and bonfires of furniture are burnt throughout the city as well as an abundance of fireworks.

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Barcelona. San Miguel Primavera Sound 10. May 27th-29th, 2010

Huge music festivals usually have at least a little something for everyone, but at Primavera Sound in Barcelona, there’s more than just “something” for indie music lovers.  Almost 200 acts are scheduled to perform at the tenth San Miguel Primavera Sound making the festival a who’s who in music today.  Bands like Black Lips, Broken Social Scene, Panda Bear, Yeasayer, Wilco, Tortise and The Antlers are just a handful of the names rocking the festival.  While most of the bands are indie, it is the British duo The Pet Shop Boys who will be headlining the show. Read the rest of this entry »

GoCar in Barcelona

Vélib’ bicycles in Paris, Segways in San Francisco and now GoCars in Barcelona, getting from destination to destination is now part of the adventure of exploring a new city.  The onboard GPS system of these clever little yellow convertibles guides you from site to site, the car will tell you local stories, histories of important sites, and give you directions. There are a variety of tours you can follow, lasting from 1 hour to an entire day.  If you don’t want to stop at a site, it’s no problem; you can arrange your itinerary to fit your interests and the GoCar will follow your lead.  Available in 6 languages, it’s like having a local give you a tour going where the tour buses can’t, such as the small winding streets of the old town. Read the rest of this entry »