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Located at Calle de Atenas 27, next to Ronda del General Miter, the old Ars theater was built in the old premises where the primitive Athenaeum of San Gervasio was once located.
The small venue was built with the intention of dedicating it to theatrical performances, however, a project had been carried out so that it could also offer film sessions.
The venue, which in those times was called a pocket theater with a capacity of 275 spectators, despite the propaganda they made at its inauguration, only intended to attract the residents of the area.
The new room would offer film screenings in the early afternoon and at night, theater sessions at eight and eleven.
On the opening day, Thursday, April 6, 1972, on page 44 of La Vanguardia they announced the premiere of the musical Bestiari, a work by local people, with text by Joan Oliver (Pere Quart) and music by La Trinca. To direct it they had gone to Ventura Pons and for the performance they had chosen Núria Duran, Carme Molina, Joan Borràs, Joan Pera and Carles Vela.
On the 19th of the same month, it began programming children’s films in the afternoons, promoting itself as the first cinema in Barcelona, ??designed exclusively for its children. In his presentation he screened the film Torbellino va a la guerra.
In summer he became an exponent of the New Catalan Song, with performances by Pere Tàpies, Enric Barbat, Dolores Laffite, Quico Pi de la Serra, María del Mar Bonet and Jaume Sisa.
In September it was managed by Círculo A, which converted it into a special theater, premiering on Friday the 22nd the films Yesterday and Today from Poland, The Crystal Structure and To Be or Not To Be.
In October 1976, he organized the 18th Barcelona International Film Week, in which The Odyssey of the Andes was screened, scripted by Vargas Llosa, which narrated the tragic aviation accident of Flight 571 of the Uruguayan Air Force. An accident that occurred on October 13, 1972, known as the Tragedy of the Andes, in which the survivors practiced cannibalism.
On Monday, June 27, 1983, a series of children’s films in Catalan began, sponsored by the Generalitat’s Film Service.
On Wednesday, October 26, at a dinner held at the Ritz Hotel, he was awarded the Generalitat Cinematographic Award for the best exhibitor in the city.
His swings in programming were constant, on Tuesday, September 25, 1984, he screened a horror program, with Bahía de sangre, Cursed New Year’s Eve, The Hills Have Eyes, New York under the terror of the Zombies, with subscriptions: 2 sessions, 450 pesetas and 5 sessions, 1,000 pesetas.
The following day, Wednesday, he abandoned cinematography to return to theater performances, with Sense Trampa, a combination of music and magic presented by maestro Josep María Bardagí (former guitarist of Joan Manel Serrat), with his ensemble Cordes Invisibles, and the magician Magic Andreu.
On October 13, 1984, in an attempt to survive, the place was converted into a Variety Theater, which was presented by the showman Màgic Andreu, with the projection of silent films enlivened on the piano by Maestro Pineda and in the varieties the performance of The formidable Markelius
The premises were acquired by Albert Freixa and Guillermo Serra to convert it into a 41 Ars Studio music bar, which opened its doors at the end of 1987.
41 Ars Studio, during the first years of its existence, had some problems. On Tuesday, April 11, the newspapers published the closure order. Later, on the 15th, the cancellation of said closure was reported.
