The level of creativity that adorns the streets of Gràcia has surprised yet another year. While some commissions have proposed that their decorations emanate messages about the impact of tourism on the cleanliness of Barcelona’s beaches or the lack of green spaces in Gràcia, other streets entertain with characters from stories and legends.
Whoever walks down Calle La Perla on their visit to the Festa Major de Gràcia will come face to face with a giant toilet. It is the entrance door that invites you to enter a sewer underground journey where you can find all kinds of garbage, even characters like ninja turtles. The tour, which exhibits waste figures provided by volunteer residents, ends with the recreation of a beach and a tanned tourist in a lounge chair. “We seek to criticize all the crap of cans and cigarettes that the foreigners throw away and arrive at La Barceloneta”, says Andreu, a member of the Board of this same street, who adds: “in La Perla we improvise, for this reason, each element of the decoration is what each neighbor considers to be thrown into the sewers”. Andreu hopes that the set is free to interpret for everyone who passes by. However, to be precise with his message, they have placed QR codes that offer more information.
Escaping from the controversial, in Puigmartí street they have also opted for their work to express something more than surprise when seeing it. Visitors who visit the street will find the scenery of an abandoned house and the vegetation that covers it everywhere. From the branches, which are intertwined to form a ceiling, hang some 3,000 handmade flowers that cross the street from corner to corner, for which 30,000 egg cups donated by a local merchant have been used. “We decided on this theme as a way of representing a green area, in a neighborhood like Gràcia, where what is missing is nature,” argues Rovira, vice president of the Puigmartí commission.
Tordera street, on the other hand, has been inspired by Catalan modernism with the intention of paying homage to the works of Gaudí in Barcelona. The set is intended to be a stained glass gallery, where at the entrance you can see the chimneys of La Pedrera and warriors, and at the exit columns inspired by Park Güell are exhibited. “The street is intended to be a burst of color,” says Laia Miler, director of the set this year, who recommends going at night to appreciate the illuminated artistic display.
The Progrés route has undoubtedly become one of the favorite spots for children. The mounted ornament, which exposes the world of ants, features huge figures that can be interacted with. Another attraction for children can be experienced on Fraternitat street. The proposal from the neighbors is an invitation to be the protagonist of the children’s story The Wizard of Oz and experience the exploits of Dorothy. Well, as you progress from the entrance portal, there are other characters such as the tin man or the lion. The recommendation of the creators of this street is to attend at noon when the sun that crosses the line of yellow-painted water jugs and allows the reflection on the floor of the classic tiles from the story, which according to one of the volunteers have ” used more than 700 bottles of water”.
In the bet on the legend of the Pied Piper planned by the volunteers from Calle Verdi, the recycling of materials was also an important starting point. The entrance layout, which represents a large river, is made from waste bags and 12,000 collected plastic bottles. “The objective behind this work is to understand the effort that goes into assembling each piece”, points out Susana Font, responsible for the decoration, who adds: “more than ten people participated in making a simple piece of the ceiling. process”.
Meanwhile, in Llibertat street, what they have recycled has been the truncated proposal of the year 2020 due to the coronavirus. The assembly of Easter Island aims to expose the Rapanui culture. “We have worked side by side with the INANGA RAPA NUI group to understand how to recreate the island and its culture,” says Daniela, a street volunteer.
Although the residents assure that all the effort put into the assemblies is just an excuse for the neighborhood to socialize and not lose tradition, the temptation to win the contest exists. Although there is more encouragement for visitors to enjoy their works, the residents have already received a visit from the jury and are expectant. The points of evaluation, as described by members of the commissions, are not only the creativity of the decoration, but also the organization for the circulation of visitors and the impact it generates among those present. The winner’s decision will be made public this Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
