Memòries, by Gerard Valls Montaño

Neighbourhood identity and life are fading away. Policies focused on tourism as an economic driver have a strong impact on the local population. Spaces for children and young people are disappearing, housing is becoming unaffordable, and streets and squares are losing their character. Is this the present and future we want?

This installation questions the current economic and urban model through a hybrid physical and digital audiovisual device. Two cassette tapes play sound loops of authentic spaces in Barcelona that have not yet been transformed by mass tourism. As the exhibition progresses, these tapes deteriorate until they disappear. At the same time, a third tape with sounds from a space that has already been touristified plays indefinitely without deteriorating, creating a clear and symbolic contrast with the previous ones. A sound metaphor for the process of urban transformation.

Gerard Valls Montaño is a designer and audiovisual artist. He experiments with hybrid experiences at the intersection of the physical and digital worlds. He draws on science, technology and society to explore the blurred boundaries between these environments, using visuals, materials, light and sound to generate atmospheres that evolve over time and audience interaction, resulting in unique experiences that encourage reflection.

MORE INFORMATION:

Date: 3 to 26 October
Opening: 3 October at 8 p.m.
Location: Espai L at Casa Canals
Admission: free
Opening hours
Monday: closed
Tuesday to Friday: 9.30 am – 9 pm
Saturday: 10 am – 9 pm
Sunday and public holidays: 10 am – 3 pm