11th edition of El KONVENT at l’ANTIC

The eleventh edition of KONVENT A L’ANTIC: a once-a-year chance to see, in Barcelona, the creations of resident artists at Konvent de Cal Rosal, a former convent of the late 19th century converted into a multidisciplinary and selfmanaged artistic centre. Just like Antic Teatre, Konvent is a cultural agitator: a space for the arts and, at the same time, a way of practicing and understanding local culture. The continuous tracking and observation of the artistic environment, empowerment and providing visibility are some of the self-imposed duties of both establishments. The Antic Teatre-Konvent combo has produced many wide-ranging projects, such as Rebota rebota y en tu cara explota, by Agnés Mateus and Quim Tarrida, which won the Premio de la Crítica Nuevas Tendencias 2017, Premio FAD Sebastià Gasch Aplauso 2018 and Premio Butaca 2018 Nuevas Aportaciones Escénicas.

Erik Forsberg – Subterrània (live set)

Against all odds, the most counter-cultural underground scene in Barcelona enjoyed a resurgence during the coronavirus pandemic, when fear of contagion and health restrictions made it even more difficult to get together and dance to electronic music. Could the phenomenon of clandestine parties during the pandemic serve as a vantage point from where to rethink what the concept of health means to us?

Subterrània is the live performance of a testimonial symphony that mixes dozens of voices from the worlds of nightlife and healthcare and envelops them in sounds and lights inspired by hospital and party environments in order to question how we as a society visualise and imagine the concept of health.

Erik Forsberg is a performance artist whose main interest is the exploration of underground culture through the poetics of the real. Between 2021 and 2023 he co-directed the project Pupilas pintaban mis sábanas, centered on drug use, medicine and counterculture in Barcelona between the 70s-90s and present times, using the real testimonies of people who lived through those years. The project resulted in two stage pieces: Cheli (Antic Teatre, CorralitoxTNT) and Teresa (Fundació Joan Brossa, Grec). Currently working on a stage adaptation of the novel Cavalls salvatges, Erik has previously worked as an attending physician for drug users living with HIV.