Barcelona and Culture
Lluís Cintas
Founder & Strategic Experience Designer at Bobo Barcelona
Carlos Pérez
Project Manager at Concert Studio
Barcelona is known worldwide for its culture.History has shown that the city has become a leading cultural force by nurturing culture in two ways: generating it at home and welcoming it from outside.
However, it has just been recognized by the has forced the culture sector, along with many others, to lie fallow. In agriculture, this term means that the soil is resting and absorbing nutrients so it can offer better crops the following year. Let us hope that this is the case in 2021.
The Barcelona brand has gained a reputation for a wide range of cultural features. These include the works of the modernista architect Antoni Gaudí, including the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, and Parc Güell, and museums, like the Picasso museum, the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC) and the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA). Historic parts of the city, such as the Gothic and Borne quarters, the Ramblas, and the Olympic village, and theaters, such as Gran Teatre del Liceu, and the National Theater of Catalonia have also contributed to the city’s name for culture, as has its gastronomy, with a key draw being the iconic Boqueria market.
Culture in the 21st century
The city needs to differentiate itself and understand where the world is going. It is time to define what its values are and to pinpoint the needs of the new generations. We need to ask ourselves why we do what we do and why we do it.
At a time of global crisis, new values such as solidarity, respect for the planet, and awareness of migration are on the rise. We are challenged by a host of concerns and needs in which culture can and must provide contexts that invite reflection, critical think-ing, and innovative solutions.
"Culture transforms society, the economy, and the environment."
Culture as an economic model that is productive and competitive
On a very special occasion, the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Liceu opera, Valentí Oviedo, general director, posed the questions, "Is the Liceu necessary? Would it be a problem if we didn’t exist at all?
The Gran Teatre del Liceu, to give its full title, is committed to artistic excellence and inno-vative staging that focuses on the concerns of the day and the experience of audiences. According to Valentí, culture is all about promoting creativity, talent, innovation, and knowledge.
Culture can help to internationalize a city, attract talent and investment, and even trans-form the city’s urban design, according to Miquel Molina, writer and assistant director of La Vanguardia. He believes that culture has an unparalleled impact on the economy of a city and on the life of its inhabitants.
New opportunities and attracting talent
There is no doubt that we are experiencing an extraordinary time of continuous change and uncertainty. We need to attract people of extraordinary talent who will focus on inno-vation that is driven by creative solutions, critical thinking, and conscious leadership while also providing leadership in analyzing what the future of the Barcelona might offer.
It is necessary to take advantage of a series of opportunities, such as the Manifesta Con-temporary Art Fair in 2024 and the ongoing Barcelona City of Music event. Moreover, a location needs to be found for the Hermitage museum and there should be more activities on the Ramblas and on Parallel street. It is essential for our music schools to be able to compete at an international level, while sculpture should be integrated into urban spaces as performance art. In short, we need to promote what we already have, which is by no means insignificant.
Isabel Vidal, CEO of Grup Focus adds, "To continue to be a world-beating beacon of mu-sic, creativity and technology, we need to explore new avenues of business in new areas such as Montjuic, the Three Chimneys area, and the port of Barcelona, locations with great potential."
"Culture is not about filling hotel rooms."
"The economic impact of culture in the city is not about filling hotels. It is in transforming the city and the mentality of the people who live in Barcelona," says Ventura Barbara, partner and executive director of Advanced Music S.L., the company that organizes Sónar.
"While it is true that culture can attract quality tourism, our responsibility is to generate prestige within the city by offering work to local artists and building loyalty among local audiences," says Carlos Durán, director of Galería Senda. It should be remembered that Barcelona is enjoyed by both locals and visitors.
We, Carlos Pérez, project manager of Festival Pedralbes y Lluís Cintas, socio fundador en Festival oríGenes, creemos que uno de los grandes retos es personalizar y democratizar la cultura para que no sea un evento anual. Nuestro gran propósito es crear condiciones para que a todas las edades les interese la cultura y así poder cultivar un futuro mejor.
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