Beds in the Plazas

Recap in English-- Barcelona has been experiencing a housing crisis for the last 2 decades, it's gotten much worse since the economic crisis (2008ish) because many have returned to investing in mass tourism as a way to boost profit, but the only ones increasing their earnings are the ones who were economically fine to begin with. Part of this mass tourism industry is turning flats over to short-term foreign residents and tourists who will pay 2-4 times as much for a room or apartment. As a result, it has become near impossible for a local to continue living in Barcelona, where they grew up/where they work/where they pay taxes to their city. Many of these flats/apartments on airbnb are illegal and the grassroots mayor, Ada Colau, is trying to regulate this so locals can find housing (and avoid a Manhattan or San Francisco type of situation where only the wealthy get their way). Today they've started a creative campaign to raise awareness about this problem. They put beds in the plazas (public everyday space!) with a multilingual sign that explains the problem.

"El Ayuntamiento de Barcelona puso en marcha ayer en las calles más céntricas de la ciudad una impactante campaña comunicativa en contra de los alojamientos turísticos ilegales. El Consistorio colocó camas en la vía pública y, junto a ellas, carteles en varios idiomas que informaban: “Que esta cama esté disponible en internet no significa que sea legal”."

https://elpais.com/ccaa/2017/07/18/catalunya/1500405327_368916.html?id_externo_rsoc=FB_CC 

#FemPlaça #HagamosPlaza #Let'sMaketheSquare

here I document a very special event called #FemPlaça #HagamosPlaza #LetsMaketheSquare. the event is special, or rare, for many reasons. here are a couple:

1) it took place in the Plaza Salvador Seguí in the historic Raval neighborhood of Barcelona--Barcelona's most socially diverse neighborhood where many lower-income immigrants and elders live, where prostitutes work, and where police are always watching like hawks. over the last 3 decades the neighborhood has suffered much abuse, speculation, and gentrification. the local gov’t has allowed real estate and construction companies, architects, (multi)national investors to demolish around half of the neighborhood's historic buildings (most dating from the 18th century), their inhabitants and businesses are displaced. why? in order to create apartments, hotels, and shops for tourists. large neighborhood associations have tried to stop this bestial force, but they have been ignored, bullied, and in some cases received death threats. there’s been no stop, no limit, to the destructive tourist speculation. most tourists don’t know about this.

2) public space in Barcelona and most global cities has become extremely regulated, monitored, privatized -- video cameras, controlling urban furniture, police force are ubiquitous and usually inconspicuous.  nowadays, before one can carry out harmless activities (such as singing, dancing, resting, meeting in a large group…) in public, the local gov't must give their stamp of approval (because they want to ensure a smooth image and space for the tourist industry). #FemPlaça #HacerPlaza #MakingtheSquare comes from the idea that humans should be able to "be" comfortably in the public space (that they pay for with their taxes) without asking for permission and without being bombarded by an atmosphere that pressures you to spend your money or look at a restaurant menu.  at #FemPlaza #HagamosPlaza #LetsMaketheSquare spontaneity played it’s part in enabling all sorts of creative activities (i.e. at one point the kids decided they wanted to paint, later a theatre group appeared and did a skit…).

3) given this surveillance situation, public space in Barcelona (and most global cities) is increasingly “zoned" spatially and segregated socially. us humans (and our spatial needs and desires) come in many ethnic, economic, linguistic, gender, ideological colors…etc. but global downtowns are now surrounded by a new mural, and murals within murals, and in the residential zone they say if you can’t afford $2000/month in rent—stay out! and if the food zone they say: if you can’t pay $20 for a sandwich, stay out! now take a good look at these photos. you’ll see that many different type of activities were occurring simultaneously at #FemPlaça #HacerPlaza #MakingtheSquare (sitting, chatting, singing, eating, drawing, playing…). also, the event encouraged human differences to come together.  usually cultural events are organized by a specific institution (a university, the government, a church…), a corporation or bank, or an identity group or club to bring together similar-minded humans. ("separation perfected" Debord called contemporary life.)  #FemPlaça #HacerPlaza #MakingtheSquare wanted to advocate public space as an inclusive space so, for this event, anyone could organize activities and participate, regardless of their personal situation. this seems so obvious and normal, right? yet when residents passed by they were like cats checking out a new space--they slowed down, stayed to one side and raised their eyebrows. their first instinct was that: a private event was occurring. we had to make an effort to let strangers know that: hey, this might sound crazy, but this is actually, really, public! you are welcome here! come and enjoy your public space, have some food and drink or chalk or whatever you like!

creativity and resistance

In lieu of Spain´s increasingly violent police force and recent Security Law (Ley de Seguridad Ciudadana):

Spanish: http://www.eldiario.es/interferencias/Doce-inspiradoras-Ley-Seguridad-Ciudadana_6_204439558.html

English: http://guerrillatranslation.com/2014/01/07/12-inspired-actions-to-outsmart-repressive-situations-and-laws/

Cultures of Anyone (and everyone)

Luis Moreno Caballud's insightful recap on Spain's current economic crisis and political resistance (15M, virtual communities...).  In English.

http://culturasdecualquiera.wordpress.com/2013/10/21/cultures-of-anyone-the-spanish-indignado-movement-and-its-contexts/

Secular Teaching Missions, 1st Republic Spain

small junk mail tactic

For those living in the US and receiving loads of junkmail, here´s a very easy and non-violent way to protest financial corruption (and even support your local post office).
When our representatives don´t listen, we have to get creative. This is very creative.

fun fact 8: Banksy

A street or graffiti artist one of my students told me about: Banksy. I love how he harmlessly makes use of the dents in urban space for questionable purposes. Click on the photo for his website. I think his "outdoor" work is the most creative and effective (since it´s more public).

situation 3

this is great, harmlessly playing with the silly boundaries between private and public space. i love things that we don't know how to respond to, and that question our taken-for-granteds. What would you do if you found a bright orange stairway peeking over your gated community?

(if you click on the images you can see them enlarged.)

from the excellent book design like you give a damn by architecture for humanity, pp314-315.

dissertation cover

one space, two times--march 2005 and november 2006. (click on the image for a more realistic experience.)

Thanks to Eva Megias for the colored photograph.

spatial tactics

One winter afternoon I was wandering around the Raval neighborhood (in the Historic Quarter of Barcelona) and I came upon a volleyball game taking place in a homemade volleyball court. Immigrants were playing inside an abandoned lot where a building had been razed. The lot was fenced off; the bottom couple of feet were cemented off. How did they get in there? I walked around it to see how they had gotten inside. On one side I found a jagged hole in the lower part of the fence, about 1.5 foot by 1.5 foot. I thought how they must have had to crawl in individually and slip the poles and the net through. Very clever, I thought, and I took this picture from inside that hole. After that day I began to find all sorts of spatial tactics in the city: heated 24-hour ATM nooks and storefronts being used as bedrooms; balconies used to hang clothes and protest signs, left-out construction materials and those big plant pots used as benches; dumpsters used as urinals…

And I began to think of how these spatial tactics not only fulfilled a basic need, but also functioned as little harmless, creative, political resistances, breaking through the city’s image, an international image ultra-protected by the increasing presence of video cameras, policemen, and tour books. Since spatial tactics are usually temporal, mobile, sneaky, spontaneous, small, and semi-hidden, for me they’re also a unique form of resistance because they hard to crack down on, categorize, or put your finger on them. (Like little sparks of truth amongst the ubiquitous stimuli and simulacra.)

I’ll end with a quote. "[Those who create spatial tactics] must vigilantly make use of the cracks that particular conjunctions open in the surveillance of the proprietary powers. It poaches them. It creates surprises in them. It can be where it is least expected. It is a guileful ruse." (The Practice of Everyday Life by Michel de Certeau, 1984)

May you find many spatial tactics then next time you walk outside.

No. I’ll end with a color picture of that abandoned lot, or volleyball court, one year later.

Color photo taken by Eva Megias.

(Published in Tiresias, vol. 1)

Current Events I: commendable solidarity

This evening 11 million Spaniards (over a quarter of the population) demonstrated solidarity against war and state corruption in the streets.