We worked with the 175 year old Liceu opera theatre to share the artistic process behind their new opera ‘La Gata Perduda’. This epic performance was produced in collaboration with 72 associations and 560 residents from the local neighbourhood, to bring the multicultural and creative character of the Raval onto the stage.
The opera tells the story of the mysterious disappearance of the landmark statue 'El Gato de Botero' that is normally found on the main boulevard of Raval, and the resulting quest to return it that brings each and every part of the community together under the stage lights.
We collaborated with TAKK to develop an interactive installation situated in the Saló dels miralls of the iconic Liceu theatre, telling the story of the 1,428 days that went into bringing one of Barcelona’s most historic neighbourhoods to the opera.
For each of the 560 pieces that formed the installation, there was a corresponding member of the Raval community that had been involved in the opera. We produced an original poster that would explain every element of the construction and would remind the audience of the unique and complex story behind the creation of La Gata Perduda.
For the second poster we generated 1,428 cat images from the streets of Raval using an AI, each one representing a day that was spent in the pursuit of realising this epic and innovative operatic performance.
The interactive touch screens gave audience members the chance to explore the digital experience we created, and hear the voices of those involved in the production.
A journey through the artistic process behind the opera
The digital experience lives on as a website, and gives an in depth look at just who and where the different organisations helped out, from local choirs to street artists. There is also a personal interview with one member from each of the departments, who gives you their account of what it was like to be involved, and what the project meant to them.
This was a project that made us truly proud of our city, and we were inspired to see how the powerful format of an opera can be used to tell contemporary stories.
La Gata Perduda
Have you ever attended the opera?
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