Swapsee mag�ine

barcelonaISSUE 1 / JUNE 2013

Contents

NYC en BCN

Seducidos por el Arte

Kinetica

Teatro en la intimidad

Edwin Toone

010711

15 19

Hace algún tiempo tuvimos una conversación con uno de nuestros Embajadores Swapsee, Aviv. Aviv es un diseñador con una fuerte inclinación artística y nos dijo que es muy difícil conseguir tu primera exposición en una galería o tu primera pieza en una revista. Curadores y editores reciben docenas de peticiones de todo tipo de personas y conseguir que te seleccionen es muy complicado. Nos dijo que una de las cosas que le añadiría mucho valor a Swapsee sería que nosotros ayudáramos a diseñadores y artistas en su posición a superar esa barrera. Unos días después, mientras reflexionábamos sobre nuestra conversación, se nos ocurrió que Swapsee no necesariamente tenia que hacer de intermediario en esta situación, podíamos dar a nuestros miembros un canal de difusión nosotros mismos. Por eso, Aviv es el primer miembro de Swapsee al que dedicamos un artículo. Así, Swapsee Magazine nace para promocionar el talento de nuestros miembros y darles un medio para mostrar y difundir su trabajo.Espero que disfrutéis leyendo estas páginas tanto como nosotros hemos disfrutado haciéndolas.- El Equipo Swapsee

A while back we had a conversation with one of our Swapsee Ambassadors, Aviv. Aviv is a designer with a strong artistic leaning and he told us that it's very difficult to get your first gallery show or your first feature in a magazine. Curators and editors receive dozens of requests from all kinds of people all the time and getting selected is really hard. He told us that one of the things that would really add value to Swapsee would be for us to help designers and artists in his position bridge that gap. A few days later, while thinking about our conversation, it ocurred to us that Swapsee didn't necessarily have to be a facilitator, we could give our members a public outlet for their creativity and their skills ourselves. Fittingly, Aviv is our first featured Swapsee member. Thus, Swapsee Magazine is born to promote the talent of our members and give them an outlet to showcase their work. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed making it.- The Swapsee Team

PROPERTY:Swapsee Magazine is a free publication for Swapsee members and friends, it is not intended for commercial distribution.

All images in this publication are the property of the organizations, entities or persons they represent, and/or the journalists and writers that produced the text. Aviv Shany photos by Maayan Migdal.

CONTACT:You can reach us at info@swapsee.com

Design and layout by Gaby Hooper.

Editorial

NYCEN BCN

Tomarse un exquisito brunch, comprar un picnic para disfrutarlo al aire libre, buscar una novela de referencia en una librería repleta de detalles, descubrir a nuevos artistas en acogedoras galerías, gozar de una deliciosa hamburguesa recién hecha, disfrutar de un espresso en una cafetería de techos altos, comprar ropa vintage o tomarse un cóctel al más puro estilo hipster.... Para completar una jornada así de perfecta, ya no es necesario cruzar el Atlántico y plantarse en Nueva York, la capital del mundo por antonomasia y sinónimo de tendencias y multiculturalidad. Ahora es posible organizarla en Barcelona, eso sí, afinando la curiosidad, ya que cada barrio esconde su rincón newyorker.

01SERGIO ESCARTIN

01

Enjoying an exquisite brunch, having a picnic in a park, looking for a novel you're interested in in one of those little bookshops that feel special, discovering new artists at small, little-known galleries, digging in to a gourmet burger, sipping an espresso at a charming coffee shop, buying vintage clothing at a thrift shop or having a cocktail at a hip bar... To do all these things one need not travel thousands of miles across the Atlantic to New York; the unofficial capital of the world, synonim of trendyness and multiculturalism. Now you can have a New York weekend in sunny, Mediterranean Barcelona, you just need to know where to look. Each of Barcelona's 'boroughs' hides its own unique experiences.

02

03

In the last few years the Catalan capital has taken a bite out of the Big Apple and has adopted many of its most popular traits, not only to attract tourists but also locals, who are captivated by all the references to the city of skyscrapers.

The usual, late Barcelona breakfast of the weekends has given way to brunch, where eggs -scrambled, benedict, in a frittata– are the star ingredient. A good example is the Granja Petitbo (Passeig de Sant Joan, 82), which every weekend boasts queues on the sidewalk outside of people patiently waiting to enjoy its food, its high ceilings, its old, mismatched furniture and its sunny dinning room. Its pancakes and fresh juices –go for the orange, apple and carrot one– gain adherents every day, much like Picnic (Comerç, 1). This homey restaurant offers delicious homemade food including fried green tomatoes, crispy bacon (how it's meant to be eaten!) or bowls of cereal with yogurt.

La ciudad catalana ha dado en los últimos años su particular mordisco a la Gran Manzana y ha adoptado algunas de sus mejores costumbres para cautivar no sólo a los turistas, sino a muchos autóctonos que se frotan las manos con tantas referencias a la ciudad de los rascacielos.

El habitual y tardío desayuno barcelonés de los fines de semana ha dejado por fin paso al brunch, a caballo entre el desayuno (breakfast) y el almuerzo (lunch), donde los huevos –fritos, revueltos o Benedict- son el ingrediente principal. Prueba de ello es la Granja Petitbo (Passeig Sant Joan, 82) que los sábados, domingos y festivos acumula colas matinales para adentrarse en su comedor de techos altos, muebles de todas las épocas y grandes ventanales. Las famosas pancakes y los zumos naturales (a probar el de zanahoria, manzana y naranja) ganan adeptos cada día, algo que hace tiempo ya ha conseguido el Picnic (Comerç, 1). Este restaurante de carácter familiar ofrece deliciosa comida casera entre la que no faltan los tomates verdes fritos, el bacon crujiente o el yogur con cereales.

04

If you want to have an actual picnic like New Yorkers do at Sheep's Meadow in Central Park there are many interesting options. One that has been growing in popularity recently is Cornelia & Co. (Carrer Valencia 225), that offers a wide range of top quality local sausages and cold cuts, cheeses, cakes and pies all for take away. El Parc de la Ciutadella or Barcelona's beaches are great spots to enjoy a Picnic. And there's no reason to miss the famous Katz's Delicatessen of the Lower East Side, known both for its pastrami and for Meg Ryan's fake orgasm scene in When Harry met Sally. Barcelona has a deli of its own, the Paprika Goumet (Carrer de Lepant, 311) which opened a few months ago and specializes in Hungarian and Eastern European fare. It offers many kosher delights and even has pastrami sandwhiches; all at very competitive prices.

For its part, the Federal Cafe's (Carrer Parlament, 39) terrace has in a short time become one of the most locally-appreciated spots to enjoy a coffee, with nothing to envy from the best coffee houses in New York's East Village or Soho.

Si lo que se desea es almorzar al aire libre y emular el plan neoyorkino de sentarse en la explanada del Sheep Meadow de Central Park, las opciones también son múltiples. Una cada vez más al alza es acercarse al Cornelia and Co. (Valencia 225), donde el take away se convierte en una atractiva opción con embutidos, quesos y tartas. El local dignifica el concepto del picnic listo para disfrutar sobre el césped de la Ciutadella o a la orilla de cualquiera de las playas de la ciudad. Sin (casi) necesidad de añorar el mítico Katz’s Delicatessen del Lower East Side, mundialmente conocido por su pastrami y por acoger la escena del fingido orgasmo de Meg Ryan en Cuando Harry encontró a Sally, Barcelona cuenta desde hace pocos meses con el Paprika Gourmet (Lepant, 311). Este delicatessen húngaro ofrece bocadillos de pastrami, productos autóctonos de Europa del Este y otros manjares tipo kosher. Y todo ello, a un muy buen precio.

Por su parte, la terraza del Federal Café (Parlament, 39) ya es para muchos barceloneses un pequeño tesoro que en poco tiempo se ha convertido en un lugar ideal y cautivador para disfrutar de un buen café, sin nada que envidiar a las numerosas existentes en el East Village o el Soho de Nueva York.

05

Pero las reminiscencias a la capital del mundo no están sólo presentes en la gastronomía. Barcelona ofrece también actividades culturales que bien podrían encontrarse en las atractivas rutas neoyorkinas que tantas suelas desgastan. Ejem-plo de ello es la librería La Central (Elisabets, 6) o la galería-cafetería Cosmo (Enric Granados, 3), que por muchos momen-tos recuerdan a la extraordinaria Strand Book Store cercana a Union Square o a las numerosas galerías de arte que rodean al High Line de NY, un parque elevado situado sobre las vías de una antigua estación de tren.

A la hora de comprar, el barrio de Gràcia y el Born se llevan la palma. En el primero bordeando los alrededores de la plaza del Sol, se pueden encontrar tiendas vintage de segunda mano a semejanza del East Village, mientras el segundo ofrece un punto más chic cercano al Soho o Tribeca.

Después de las compras, nada mejor que recompensar el estómago y descansar las piernas. Inspirado en el Meatpacking District, uno de los barrios más polifacéticos de la Gran Manzana y lugar de encuentro de diseñadores, músicos, escritores, arquitectos y restauradores, aparece el Meatpacking Bistro (Travesera de Gràcia, 50-52). Todo el local rinde homenaje a NY y es ideal para disfrutar de una hamburguesa acompañada de unas deliciosas y crujientes fries.

Y para digerirla, una estupenda opción es un buen cóctel con unas vistas inmejorables. Para ello, el Hotel Barceló Raval ofrece un mirador de 360 grados para contemplar el atardecer sobre la ciudad mientras se disfruta de un buen combinado acompañado de buena música, lo más parecido –salvando las distancias- al mítico 230 Fifth de Manhattan que se llena a diario para empequeñecerse ante el imponente Empire State con un Cosmopolitan entre las manos. Lejos de las alturas, Barcelona contempla en su oferta el East 47, la nueva coctelería del Hotel Claris (Pau Claris, 150). Su carta se basa en tapas originales y sofisticadas junto a una variada selección de ginebras y tónicas para elaborar un buen cóctel al gusto del consumidor más exigente.

Nada menos que 6.172 kilómetros separan Barcelona de Nueva York y seguramente ninguna ciudad podrá superar la esencia de la urbe estadounidense. No obstante la capital catalana le rinde un homenaje muy personal. Sería un pecado perdérselo.

But the references to the capital of the world aren't only gastronomical. Barcelona has its own share of cultural activities that would fit right in to one of New York's city tours. An example of which is La Central bookstore (Elisabets, 6) or the cafe-gallery Cosmo (Enric Granados, 3), which are reminiscent of the spectacular Strand Book Store near Union Square and the many art galleries which pepper lower Manhattan and cluster around the High Line, an elevated park built on top of the city's old, above-ground train line.

In terms of shopping, Gracia and El Born are clearly the places to go. The former offers vintage and second hand shops much like the East Village; while the latter is more chic, closer to Soho and Tribeca.

After shopping what better than resting one's legs at the Meatpacking Bistro (Travessera de Gracia, 50). Inspired by the city's Meatpacking District, one of the city's most multifaceted areas, which attracts designers, musicians, architects, writers and restauranteurs. The whole space is a homage to the Big Apple and a great place to enjoy a juicy gourmet burger and some fries.

And to wash it down why not have a cocktail while enjoying an amazing view of downtown Barcelona? The Hotel Barcelo Raval offers a 360 degree view of the city and is the perfect place to watch the sunset while sipping a mixed drink and listening to good music. It's as close as you can get to Manhattan's 230 Fifth, that fills up every day with people that want to admire the imposing Empire State Building and the New York skyline with a Cosmopolitan in their hand. Barcelona completes its offer with the newly established East 47, recently opened at the Hotel Claris (Pau Claris, 150). The menu offers a selection of original and sophisticated tapas, as well as a wide range of gin and tonics that will surely please even the most demanding of customers.

No less than 6,172 kilometers separate New York from Barce-lona, and surely no city will be able to compete with the essence of the United States' unofficial capital, but Barcelona pays homage to it in its own personal way. It would be a shame to miss it.

06

SEDUCIDOSPOR EL ARTESONIA DOCTOR

La pintura y la fotografía: una auténtica historia de seducción

¿Qué relación existe entre los grandes nombres de la historia de la pintura, las primeras instantáneas y la obra de algunos fotógrafos contemporáneos? La exposición del CaixaForum Barcelona, Seducidos por el arte. Pasado y presente de la fotografía, se hace eco de este diálogo a tres voces para configurar una particular mirada sobre la influencia que ha ejercido la pintura en los grandes maestros de la fotografía.

What is the relationship between the great masters in the history of painting, early photography and the work of some contemporary photographers? The CaixaForum exhibition, Seduced by Art: Photography Past and Present, explores this three-sided dialogue, forming a particular vision of the influence painting has had on the great masters of photography.

PAINTINGAND PHOTOGRAPHY

A REAL STORY OF SEDUCTION

02

07

Tienen vidas y lenguajes diferentes pero durante décadas han caminado de la mano. Desde las primeras instantáneas a mediados del siglo XIX, la fotografía y la pintura han protagoniza un diálogo artístico que ha marcado la evolución de ambas disciplinas. Aunque hoy en día es una expresión artística en sí misma, la fotografía bebió durante años del legado histórico de la pintura y esta se valió de la nueva técnica, surgida entorno a 1830, para jugar con sus composiciones y sus escenas.

Esta relación es, precisamente, el leitmotiv de la exposición que estos días acoge el CaixaForum Barcelona, Seducidos por el Arte. Pasado y presente de la fotografía, una muestra que presenta cómo la pintura fue una referencia para los pioneros de la fotografía y un estímulo para su creatividad y para su búsqueda de un lenguaje artístico propio.

La exposición, organizada conjuntamente con la National Gallery de Londres, recoge un total de 130 obras de grandes maestros que incluyen artistas como Turner, Gainsborough o Delacroix, hasta pioneros de la fotografía del siglo XIX como Julia Margaret Cameron o Gustave Le Grau o nombres contemporáneos de la talla de Rineke Dijkstra, Richard Learoyd o la berlinesa Beate Gütschow.

With different lives and languages, photography and painting have still walked hand in hand for decades. Since the earliest photographs taken in the mid-nineteenth century, photography and painting have been engaged in an artistic dialogue, which has marked the development of both disciplines. Although photography has become an art form in itself, for years it was nurtured on the historic legacy of painting, which in turn drew from the new technique that arose around 1830 to play with its own compositions and scenes.

It is this relationship which is the leitmotiv of the current exhibition at CaixaForum Barcelona, Seduced by Art: Photography Past and Present, an exhibition that shows how painting served as a reference for the pioneers in photography, stimulating their creativity and the search for their own artistic language.

The exhibition, organized in collaboration with the National Gallery of London, brings together 130 works of the great masters including artists such as Turner, Gainsborough and Delacroix, as well as pioneers in photography from the 19th century, such as Julia Margaret Cameron and Gustave Le Grau, and contemporary artists such as Rineke Diikstra, Richard Learoyd and the Berliner, Beate Gütschow.

08

La fotografía apareció en un momento en el que el arte era más accesible que nunca y en el que grandes exposiciones y museos públicos contribuyeron a difundir la pintura y la escultura entre todas las capas de la sociedad. Fotógrafos pioneros como Roger Fenton, Julia Margaret Cameron o Robert Adamson aspiraban a dotar a esta nueva técnica de un lenguaje propio que legitimara esta nueva expresión artística como una disciplina de pleno derecho.

Para la coordinadora de la exposición, Maria Canuda, precisamente fue esta voluntad de trazar un lenguaje propio lo que llevo a los primeros fotógrafos a imitar el lenguaje de la pintura, que se convirtió en un motor de innovación durante todo el siglo XIX.

Pero al tiempo que la fotografía se valía de las composiciones artísticas para labrar su evolución, la pintura y la escultura vieron en la fotografía una nueva herramienta técnica que les permitía dotar de más realismo a sus escenas, así como también un nuevo medio de expresión artística con el que podrían experimentar. “No sé si había o no una voluntad expresiva diferente, pero sí una relación instrumental: la pintura utilizaba la fotografía y ésta, a su vez, a la pintura”, reconoce Canuda.

Photography appeared at a time in which art had become more accessible than ever before, when big exhibitions and public museums were helping to bring painting and sculpture to all levels of society. Pioneering photographers such as Roger Fenton, Julia Margaret Cameron or Robert Adamson aspired to give this new technique its own language so that this new form of artistic expression could become a discipline in its own right.

For Maria Canuda, the curator of the exhibition, it was precisely this desire to create their own language that led the first photographers to imítate the language of painting, which became a catalyst for innovation throughout the 19th century. In those years, photography suffered from excessive literalism in its representation of reality and shied away from the emotion and expressiveness of painting. Through their movement toward the artistic, photographers began to shape their own form of expression, leading right up to the present day.

UN DIALOGOA TRES VOCES

A THREE-SIDEDDIALOGUE

09

Photography appeared at a time in which art had become more accessible than ever before, when big exhibitions and public museums were helping to bring painting and sculpture to all levels of society. Pioneering photographers such as Roger Fenton, Julia Margaret Cameron or Robert Adamson aspired to give this new technique its own language so that this new form of artistic expression could become a discipline in its own right.

For Maria Canuda, the curator of the exhibition, it was precisely this desire to create their own language that led the first photographers to imítate the language of painting, which became a catalyst for innovation throughout the 19th century. In those years, photography suffered from excessive literalism in its representation of reality and shied away from the emotion and expressiveness of painting. Through their movement toward the artistic, photographers began to shape their own form of expression, leading right up to the present day.

La tercera voz de este diálogo artístico la componen los autores contemporáneos. Los fotógrafos del siglo XXI ya no necesitan imitar a los referentes artísticos de antaño, pero sí que juegan “con un imaginario cultural que todos tenemos en la mente”, reconoce la coordinadora de la exposición.

Esta mirada sobre la influencia que la pintura ejerció en las primeras instantáneas y sobre la actual relación de la historia del arte con los fotógrafos contemporáneos se entrelaza y estructura a partir de los géneros clásicos de la pintura: el retrato, el desnudo, la naturaleza muerta, el paisaje y los motivos religiosos y bélicos.

Uno de estos diálogos es el que protagoniza el cuadro de batalla de Émile-Jean-Horace Vernet, Batalla de Jemappes, con los fotógrafos contemporáneos Luc Delahaye o Simon Norfolk, que toman diferentes elementos de la obra de Vernet, como el humo de los bombardeos o el uniforme de los soldados, para tratarlos de manera aislada.

GENEROSCLASICOS

Por su parte, diferentes fotógrafos contemporáneos han reinterpretado la obra de Eugène Delacroix, como Tom Hanter y La muerte de Coltelli, Sarah Jones o Jeff Wall y su Habitación destruida.

La alusión a El grupo de Laocoonte en Hombre con tatuaje de pulpo II, de Richard Learoyd o el desnudo de este mismo autor imitando a la Mujer estirada de Dominique Ingres son algunos de los ejemplos del ámbito del tratamiento del cuerpo. Entre los retratos, destacan los de Bettina von Zwehl basados en las miniaturas pintadas o los retratos en grupo de Tina Barney, Thomas Struth o Martin Parr, que a partir de un referente pictórico, muestran las relaciones de poder existentes en la propia familia.

La muestra, que se podrá ver en el CaixaForum Barcelona hasta mediados de mayo, se combina con un ciclo de diálogos visuales entre diferentes disciplinas más allá de la propia fotografía. Cada lunes, profesionales y artistas de diferentes ámbitos protagonizan diferentes encuentros para analizar la concepción artística a partir del diálogo entre la propia fotografía, la pintura, el cine, el videoarte, la televisión o las nuevas tecnologías.

Just as photography was able to take advantage of artistic compositions to shape its own development, painting and sculpture found in photography a new tool to bring more realism to their scenes, as well as a new form of artistic expression to experiment with. “I don’t know whether there was a different expressive desire, but there was an instrumental relationship: painting used photography, and photography, in turn, used painting,” Canuda says.

The third voice in this artistic dialogue is that of contemporary artists. The photographers of the 21st century no longer need to imitate artistic references from the past, but they do play “with a cultural imaginary that we all have in mind,” says the curator. In this way, these artists are able to create new meanings and new readings of the works of art that form the artistic tradition of Western culture.

This vision of the influence of painting on the first photographic images and the current relationship between art history and contemporary photographers is intertwined and structured around the classical genres of painting: the portrait, nude, still life, landscape, religious themes and war.

CLASSICALGENRES

One of these dialogues is that between Émile-Jean-Horace Vernet’s Battle of Jemappes and the contemporary photographers Luc Delahaye and Simon Norfolk, who take different elements from Vernet’s work, such as the smoke of battle or the soldiers’ uniforms, and deal with them separately.

Other contemporary photographers have reinterpreted the works of Eugène Delacroix, such as Tom Hunter in The Death of Coltelli, Sarah Jones’ The Drawing Studio or Jeff Wall’s Destroyed Room, the image that opens the exhibition, and which evokes the delirious destruction of Delacroix but without directly imitating it.

The allusion to The Laocoon Group in Richard Learoyd’s Man with Octopus Tatoo II, or his nude, which imitates Dominique Ingres’ Odalisque are some of the examples of the works devoted to the human figure. Among the portraits, those that stand out are the works of Bettina von Zwehl based on miniature paintings or the group portraits of Tina Barney, Thomas Struth or Martin Parr, who through reference to painting, show power relations in the family.

Along with the exhibition, which can be seen at the CaixaForum Barcelona until mid-May, there is also a series of visual dialogues between different disciplines. Every Monday, artists and experts from different fields will be present to analyze artistic conception through dialogue among photography, painting, cinema, video-art, television and new technologies.

10

KINETICAAVIV SHANY

La colección parte de esta base y departe en ambas direcciones, exhibiendo esculturas y productos funcionales.

Kinetica experimenta con la percepción mediante piezas que transgreden las expectativas del espectador y lo obligan a interactuar cognitivamente con ellas. Su suelen adscribir ciertas cualidades a la madera como 'fuerza', 'dureza' y 'solidez' pero Kinetica intenta hacer al espectador cuestionar estas nociones preconcebidas. Los cortes reducen la masa de las piezas,previamente estáticas, mientras que a la vez añaden movimiento y dinamismo. Se ha demostrado que los movimientos y patrones repetitivos ayudan a la relajación, y las piezas de Kinetica buscan crear sentimientos de tranquilidad y paz en el espectador y el usuario.

Kinetica intenta elicitar todas las posibilidades que ofrece un elemento orgánico, deconstruyendo las capas de categorización y preconcepción para mostrar aquello que se oculta en su interior. Todas las piezas se someten a una transformación pero intentado que esta forme parte de su naturaleza intrínseca.

Wooden objects are usually associated with qualities such as strength and constancy but Kinetica aims to challenge these preconceptions. The cuts reduce the previously static mass and at the same time transforms it by adding movement and dynamism. Repetitive movements and patterns are known to aid relaxation, the objects are meant to stimulate feelings of tranquility and peacefulness from viewers and users.

Kinetica tries to elicit the possibilities from an organic element, to peel away the conventional categorisation and reveal that which is hidden within. All the pieces are transformed and an attempt is made to make this transition part of their intrinsic nature.

La colección fue concebida pensado en como nuestra sociedad está en un constante flujo transformador, con una siempre creciente interacción de culturas y tendencias diferentes.La globalización no es solo un fenómeno que afecta a las naciones y los mercados, también se está produciendo un amalgamiento de las disciplinas. En el pasado las lineas que dividian el arte y el diseño estaban muy bien definidas pero actualmente se están emborronando, dando lugar a nuevas disciplinas integradas y mutables.

The collection was conceived thinking about how our society is in a constant state of flux with ever growing interaction of cultures and trends. Globalization is not only a phenomenon affecting nations and markets, there is also an amalgamation of disciplines. In the past the lines that defined anddivided art and design have become blurred giving rise to new integrated mutable disciplines. Kinetica uses this as a basis to depart into different directions, from sculptures to functional products.

Kinetica experiments with perception by creating objects that transgress expectations, which surprises people and forces them to cognitively engage with the pieces.

03

Just as photography was able to take advantage of artistic compositions to shape its own development, painting and sculpture found in photography a new tool to bring more realism to their scenes, as well as a new form of artistic expression to experiment with. “I don’t know whether there was a different expressive desire, but there was an instrumental relationship: painting used photography, and photography, in turn, used painting,” Canuda says.

The third voice in this artistic dialogue is that of contemporary artists. The photographers of the 21st century no longer need to imitate artistic references from the past, but they do play “with a cultural imaginary that we all have in mind,” says the curator. In this way, these artists are able to create new meanings and new readings of the works of art that form the artistic tradition of Western culture.

This vision of the influence of painting on the first photographic images and the current relationship between art history and contemporary photographers is intertwined and structured around the classical genres of painting: the portrait, nude, still life, landscape, religious themes and war.

11

12

01

Por que eres diseñador?Desde muy pequeño estaba muy interesado en crear cosas, encontré un placer muy profundo en ver como una idea que tenia en la cabeza se va cogiendo forma y se hace física. Con los años la creatividad se enfoco mas en objetos tres dimensionales. Estaba dudando mucho antes de empezar a estudiar diseño, pensé en estudiar escultura o cocina. Escogí diseño pero me gusta mucho el arte y la cocina, quizá algún día tendré un restaurante.

Tu filosofía como diseñador en 4 o 5 palabras?Equilibrio entre naturaleza, hombre y máquina.

Cuando no estás trabajando...Me encanta el cine, en particular el cine documental. Dos recomendaciones del ultimo año serán: Chasing Ice de Jeff Orlowski que cuenta la historia del fotógrafo James Balog y Searching for sugar man de Malik Bendjelloul que cuenta la historia del músico Rodríguez.

En que se diferencian Tel Aviv y Barcelona? En que se parecen?Ambas son ciudades de playa, ciudades de 'open mind' donde se siente una cierta libertad e informalidad en las calles. La gran diferencia es que Tel Aviv está en Israel y es una burbuja de normalidad dentro de un país en conflicto. La arquitectura es muy diferente también.

Why are you a designer?When I was a kid I was very into creating things. I really enjoyed the process of an idea in my head taking shape and becoming tangible. Over the years this evolved into a focus on three dimensional objects. I had a lot of doubts before I decided to study design; I even considered becoming a chef or sculptor. I chose to become a designer but I'm very interested in art and I love to cook; maybe some day I'll have a restaurant.

Put your philosophy as a designer into 4 or 5 words:Balance between nature, man and machine.

What do you do when you're not working?I love cinema, especially documentaries. Two I'd recommed from the past year are Chasing Ice by Jeff Orlowski, which tell the story of photographer James Balog, and Searching for Sugar Man by Malik Bendjelloul which focuses on the musician Rodriguez.

What do Tel Aviv and Barcelona have in common and what differentiates them?Both are coastal cities with beaches. They're both open minded and the feeling on the streets is one of freedom and informality. The biggest difference is that Tel Aviv is in Israel and it's a bubble of normality within a country that's in a constant state of conflict. The architecture is also very dif-ferent.

13

1 / Mona and Maki, Plywood cut by band saw, L4 x W14 x H22 cm

4 / Noa, MDF wood cut by CNC, L40 x W40 x H43 cm2-3 / Nikola, Pine wood cut by CNC, L40 x W50 x H9 cm

02

03 04

14

The collection was conceived thinking about how our society is in a constant state of flux with ever growing interaction of cultures and trends. Globalization is not only a phenomenon affecting nations and markets, there is also an amalgamation of disciplines. In the past the lines that defined anddivided art and design have become blurred giving rise to new integrated mutable disciplines. Kinetica uses this as a basis to depart into different directions, from sculptures to functional products.

Kinetica experiments with perception by creating objects that transgress expectations, which surprises people and forces them to cognitively engage with the pieces.

TEATRO ENLA INTIMIDAD

SONIA DOCTOR

Junto a ella, una veintena de pequeños teatros conviven con las grandes empresas de arte escénico tejiendo una red de espacios de creación que de momento, ni la crisis ni la subida del IVA han podido deshacer.

Aunque algunos se sigan refiriendo a ellas como espacios alternativos, poco o nada tienen que ver con las salas que surgieron bajo ese paraguas a finales de los ochenta. Inicialmente, eran espacios precarios, sin ningún tipo de estructura, pero que compartían una concepción similar de lo que era el teatro: un arte para innovar, experimentar y arriesgar. Salas como Flyhard, Almeria, Gaudí, Porta 4 o Atrium han roto estereotipos y han emergido como ejemplos de salas de nueva generación, difíciles de clasificar bajo un solo apelativo y que amplían el mapa escénico junto a salas ya consolidadas como la Sala Beckett, el Tantarantana, la Seca o el Versus. A pesar de todo, el estilo de cada pequeña sala dialoga con las demás y son, a la vez que espacios de creación, cantera para nuevos artistas, directores y dramaturgos.

Estas salas trabajan fuera de los circuitos comerciales y en su mayoría, cuentan con una compañía creadora estable detrás. Su pequeño formato es una seña de identidad que garantiza una cercanía con el público y que convierte al espectador en un voyeur privilegiado. “La gente vuelve a Flyhard porque hay una magia, una relación muy estrecha entre el actor y el espectador”, reconoce Pablo Lammers, actor y uno de los integrantes de la compañía de esta sala de Sants. Víctor Alvaro, director artístico del Almeria Teatre admite que el pequeño formato “no te permite ofrecer cosas majestuosas como el TNC” pero sí estar “a dos palmos” del gran Jordi Boixaredas que junto a la debutante Claudia Benito protagoniza la última obra de Josep Maria Bonet i Jornet, Com dir-ho?

These spaces coexist with the bigger performing arts companies and together they have woven a network which, for now, neither the crisis nor last year's steep VAT hike have managed to undo.Although some still refer to them as 'alternative spaces' the truth is they have very little to do with the theatres that appeared in Barelona under that name in the late eighties. Initially, these spaces were very precarious, having very little infrastructure. The only thing they shared was a similar conception of theatre as a means through which to innovate, experiment and take risks. Flyhard, Almeria, Gaudi, Porta 4 and Atrium have shattered stereotypes and have emerged as examples of new-generation theatres that are difficult to classify and that broaden the performing arts landspcape together with other already consolidated small venues such as the Sala Beckett, Tantarantana, Seca and Versus. Nonetheless, each small space has its own distinct style which interacts and draws upon its similars in different ways. They also provide a space for emergent directors, actors and playwrights to express themselves and enter the scene.These spaces are outside the commercial circuit and in most cases have stable creative companies backing them. Their small size is one of their defining traits and it guarantees a proximity to the audience that makes the spectator a privileged voyeur of sorts. According to Pablo Lammers, an actor in Flyhard's resident company “People return to Flyhard because it's special, there's a very close relationship between the performer and the spectator”.

En los últimos años, la aparición de nuevas salas de pequeño formato, como la Sala Flyhard, el Almeria Teatre, la Sala Atrium o Porta 4 han redibujado la escena teatral barcelonesa. Salas al margen de las grandes empresas y de los circuitos comerciales que alimentan la sed del teatro más cercano y recuerdan que la creatividad no entiende de crisis.

Se apagan las luces pero, en este lugar, no se levanta el telón. Espectadores y actores conviven en un mismo espacio, sus respiraciones prácticamente se tocan, sus miradas se cruzan a solo unos metros. En escena, Alain Hernández y Betsy Túrnez dan vida a El rei Borni, una historia de dobles verdades, una comedia ácida sobre las convicciones, el intercambio de papeles en la sociedad y la búsqueda de respuestas en un mundo incierto, capitaneada por el director Marc Crehuet y de una cruda actualidad. Esta, la Sala Flyhard, con tan solo 40 butacas, es una de las salas de pequeño formato que en los últimos años están transformando el panorama teatral barcelonés.

Over the last few years Barcelona has witnessed the birth of a number of small theatres such as the Sala Flyhard, Almeria Teatre, Sala Atrium, Teatre Gaudi and Porta 4. These venues, characterized by their limited seating and the proximity to the spectator, have altered Barcelona's performing arts scene. Independent from the large production companies and the commercial circuit, they cater to an audience looking for different, more intimate experiences and they remind us that creativity is immune to crisis.

The lights go out but the curtain doesn’t rise as here there is none; spectators and actors share in the same space. Their breath intermingles and their gazes meet with only a few feet separating them. On stage, Alain Hernandez and Betsy Turnez give life to El Rei Borni, an acidic comedy about beliefs, interchanging roles in society and the search for answers in a world full of uncertainty that is almost crude in its contemporaneity, both written and directed by Marc Crehuet. This is the Sala Flyhard, which only seats forty spectators. Flyhard is one of the small theatres that over the past few years have transformed Barcelona's performing arts scene.

INTIMATETHEATRE

A LOOK AT BARCELONA’S ARTS SCENE

04

15

16

Lo que todas estas salas advierten es que cada una imprime su propio sello en sus programaciones. La Sala Atrium indaga en la poesía que se desprende de las obras, ya sea a partir del movimiento, del texto o de la luz. “Buscamos un teatro que lleve a la reflexión, del que se desprenda un compo-nente poético y que sitúe al actor en el centro del montaje”, comenta Mireia Trias, miembro de la dirección artística de la Sala Atrium. Flyhard, en cambio, busca ese espacio para la cotidianidad y el ahora: “Existe una generación que tiene ganas de escuchar historias más cercanas, que hablen de Facebook, de WhatsApp y de otras cosas que están pasando ahora”, admite Pablo Lammers. Aunque poco tiene que ver con la obra que ahora ocupa su cartelera, la apuesta del Almeria Teatre pasa por el teatro musical, la gestualidad y el circo. Víctor Alvaro reconoce que se habla mucho de los nuevos dramaturgos catalanes pero entre ellos también hay autores de teatro musical que “pasan desapercibidos” y aquí tienen cabida.

All these spaces make an effort to imprint their own style on their programmings. Atrium explores the poetry that originates in plays, be it through the script, movement or light. Mireia Trias, one of Atrium's artistic directors claims “We look for a kind of theatre that makes people think, that has a poetic element and that makes the actor the focal point”. In contrast, Flyhard tells stories that are more every-day, contemporary and mundane. “There is a generation that wants to hear stories they can relate to, that talk about Facebook, WhatsApp and other things that are happening right now”, says Pablo Lammers. Although its current head-lining show doesn't evidence it Almeria Teatre's specialty is musical theatre, physicality and circus. There is a lot of discussion of the new Catalan playwrights but among them are also composers and authors of musicals who “go unno-ticed” and have a place here says Victor Alvaro. Others, like Gracia's Porta 4 look for unconventional scripts which experi-ment with the space and the audience and look to innovate aggressively.

SELLO PROPIO

PERSONAL STYLE

17

Asumen riesgos y dedican esfuerzos que no siempre se compensan económicamente, pero que no les impiden continuar apostando por el teatro de actor, comprometido y de calidad. “No es una cuestión de dinero sino de ganas de hacer cosas; la crisis está afectando, sí; pero no podemos caer en este discurso derrotista”, reclama Lammers.

A pesar de la situación económica, la pasada temporada se saldó con un récord histórico: 2,9 millones de espectadores según la Asociación de Empresas de Teatro en Cataluña, un incremento del 8% respecto a la temporada anterior. El momento, lejos de ahuyentar al público, lo atrapa. “Los espectadores buscan el contacto, la proximidad, la relación con el actor”, reconoce Víctor Alvaro. Pequeñas salas y grandes teatros consolidados conviven en cada barrio de la ciudad. Su combinación da aire y luz a la escena catalana para continuar creando y apostando por el teatro de calidad a pesar de las dificultades. Porque la creatividad, por suerte, no entiende de crisis.

When the lights go out and the last spectators leave their seats time slows down. The people in charge are simultaneously creators, directors, actors, producers, entrpreneurs and a long etcetera. They take risks and dedicate their effort to projects that aren't always economically successful, but this doesn't keep them from making high quality theatre. “It's not a matter of money but of having the desirel to do things. The economic crisis is affecting us, obviously, but we can't give in to that kind of defeatist discourse” says Lammers.

Despite the economic situation, last season left us with a historic record: 2.9 million spectators according to the Association of Theatre Companiess; an increase of 8% over the previous season. Far from frightening spectators away, the crisis seems to drawing them in. “Audiences are looking for contact, closeness, a relationship with the actor” says Victor Alvaro. Large and small theatres coexist in every neighborhood in the city. The existence of both has infused the Catalan scene with a breath of fresh air, so that it continues to grow and produce high quality theatre. Because creativity, fortunately, is immune to the crisis..

Pero, ¿son una alternativa o un complemento a las grandes salas? Mireia Trias cree que en los últimos años se están invadiendo competencias y que debido a las dificultades económicas “las salas pequeñas cada día arriesgan menos”. “Las salas convencionales se están acercando cada vez más al formato alternativo, porque han visto que interesa, y las llamadas salas alternativas, en cambio, están yendo hacia lo comercial, para ganar más público”, reconoce. Uno de los objetivos de la Sala Flyhard cuando surgió en 2011 de la mano de Jordi Casanovas fue captar a toda aquella gente que no iba al teatro por dinero. Un precio que, en esta sala, los mismos espectadores escogen antes de ver la obra. “Funciona y hemos conseguido un público fiel que confía en nuestro criterio y llena la sala cada noche”, asegura Lammers.

Este es, precisamente, otro de los puntos en común de estas salas. Cuando las luces se apagan y el último espectador abandona su butaca, el tiempo se relativiza. Sus responsables son, simultáneamente, creadores, directores, actores, productores, empresarios y un largo etcétera.

But are these spaces an alternative to Barcelona's larger, consolidated theatres, or do they complement them? Mireia Trias believes that currently there is an overlap between them and that due to economic difficulties “small theatres are taking less risks”. “The more conventional theatres are adopting alternative formulas because they have seen there is a market for it while so called alternative theatres are becoming more and more commercial in an attempt to attract a larger audience”. Pablo Lammers and Victor Alvaro, in contrast, talk of different functions. One of Flyhard's objectives at its inception in 2011 at the hands of Jordi Casanovas –now at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya with Una historia catalana– was to attract all those people who didn't go to the theatre because of money. At Flyhard it's the audience that decides the price before each show. “It's a model that works and we have a loyal audience that trusts our judgment and fills the theatre every night” according to Lammers. This is precisely one of things the new generation, reduced scale theatres have in common.

18

Edwin Toone is a U.S. born professional photographer living in Barcelona, Spain. His specialties include, commercial, documentary, editorial, events, environmental portrait, and still photography for the film industry. He is currently expanding his photography business to include video and multimedia productions.

“My attraction to photography comes from my love of telling stories. A picture is worth a thousand words, so capturing the right moment is my way of conveying the feeling, the emotion, the story. No matter what the assignment is I approach it as a storyteller. When working on personal projects, travel photography, NGO work or with clients I try to think how one picture connects to the next.”

EDWINTOONEEdwin Toone es un fotógrafo profesional americano residente en Barcelona. Sus especialidades incluyen fotografia comercial, documental, editorial, events, retratos ambientales y fotografía fija para el cine. Actualmente está expandiendo su campo de trabajo para incluir producciones multimedia y de video.

“Mi atracción por la fotografía deriva de mi pasión por contar historias. Una imagen vale mas que mil palabras y capturar el momento exacto es mi manera de transmitir sensaciones, emociones y una historia. Independientemente del 'brief' del trabajo siempre trato de enforcarlo como una oportunidad para contar una historia. Cuando trabajo en proyectos personales, fotografía de viajes, trabajos para ONG's o con clientes siempre intento pensar en como cada imagen conecta con otras.”

When the lights go out and the last spectators leave their seats time slows down. The people in charge are simultaneously creators, directors, actors, producers, entrpreneurs and a long etcetera. They take risks and dedicate their effort to projects that aren't always economically successful, but this doesn't keep them from making high quality theatre. “It's not a matter of money but of having the desirel to do things. The economic crisis is affecting us, obviously, but we can't give in to that kind of defeatist discourse” says Lammers.

Despite the economic situation, last season left us with a historic record: 2.9 million spectators according to the Association of Theatre Companiess; an increase of 8% over the previous season. Far from frightening spectators away, the crisis seems to drawing them in. “Audiences are looking for contact, closeness, a relationship with the actor” says Victor Alvaro. Large and small theatres coexist in every neighborhood in the city. The existence of both has infused the Catalan scene with a breath of fresh air, so that it continues to grow and produce high quality theatre. Because creativity, fortunately, is immune to the crisis..

05

19

20

21

SOUTHERNCOMFORTSEn la cultura popular hay toda una 'mistica' que rodea el 'Sur' (de EEUU), y no me refiero solamente a los valores morales y la religiosidad. En 'Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus' Jim White dice 'El Sur no es solo un sitio, es un estado de la mente', ¿que opinas?

Creo que a lo que se refiere Jim White cuando habla del Sur como un estado de la mente es que son memorias, sobre aquello que la gente piensa que es y las imagenes que lo definen mas allá de como es en realidad.Con la serie “Comfort Sureño” intenté buscar esas imagenes y simbolos del Sur. En mi segunda serie de la misma temática “Postales del Sur” estoy intentando coger esta idea, este 'cliché' del Sur y su misticismo, y convertirlo en postales que parecen antiguas pero que en realidad son muy recientes.

In popular culture there is this 'mystique' surrounding 'The South' and I'm not referring only to the values and the religiosity. In 'Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus' Jim White said 'the South is a state of mind', what do you think? I think what Jim White is referring to when he talks about The South being a state of mind is that it is about memories, about what people think it is and the images that define it more than what it really is.With the series Southern Comfort I started looking for those images those symbols of The South. In my second series on the same theme "Postcards from the South" I am trying to take this idea, this cliche of The South, this southern mystique further by defining the images as postcards, as images of the past, as reminders of how it use to be even though these photos are recent.

22

¿Lo mejor y lo peor de vivir en Barcelona?

Lo mejor: BCN es un buen trampolin para el resto del mundo. El clima es muy bueno y no es demasiado grande. Todo lo que necesitas está a 20 minutos como mucho.Lo peor: Los sueldos son muy bajos, y muchas empresas haran lo que puedan para no pagarte, pagarte muy poco, y en general lo haran tarde. Al final acabas viviendo de mes a mes con poca seguridad.

A menudo encuentro que los extranjeros conocen la ciudad mejor que los locales porque se esfuerzan en descubrir sitios y cosas interesantes para hacer. ¿Alguna recomendación en ese sentido?

Para conocer bien la ciudad muevete en bici. Me encanta dar una vuelta en bici por el Born y el Gotico en las noches invernales cuando las calles están casi desiertas.

Gran parte de tu trabajo ha sido para ONG's. Emocionalmente, ¿como és implicarse con las personas que se benefician de sus programas y fotografiarlas?

Trabajar con ONG's es genial porque te da acceso a las personas y sus historias. Conociendo a los organizadores, que suelen ser locales, y a las personas beneficiadas te hace sentirte como parte de la comunidad y no solo como un observador externo. Esto resulta en mejores fotos y una conexión mucho mas intima con las personas. Y por supuesto, saber que el trabajo que estás haciendo va a ayudar a esta gente lo hace mas significativo.

23

Best and worst of living in Barcelona?

Best of living in BCN: It is a great jumping off point for the rest of the world. Weather is great, and it is not too big, everything you need is only about 20 mins away.Worst of BCN: Salaries are low, most places will do what they can to get out of paying or pay as little as possible and usually pay very late. In the end you end up living from month to month with little to no security.

I often find that foreigners know the city's intricacies better than locals because they make an effort to discover cool places and things to do, any recommendations in that sense?

To really know the city, do it on a bike. The Born and Gothic late at night during the winter when there are not too many people in the streets can be a magical place especially from the seat of a bike! (It is like a maze with little surprises around every corner)

A lot of your work has been for NGO's, what is it like emotionally to engage with the people in their programs and shoot them?

Working with NGO's is great because it give you access to people (the beneficiaries) and their stories that you would otherwise not have. By getting to know the organizers who are usually locals and getting to know the people being served by the NGO you feel more like a part of the community observing rather than an outsider looking in and the results are better photos and a stronger connection. And of course, knowing that the work you are doing is going to help these people makes it even more satisfying and meaningful.

24

25

26

“ tu nueva forma de trabajar”

“ your new way to work”

www.swapsee.com