The City Puzzle

Translocation is a meanwhile intervention where citizens and visitors of El Barri Gòtic and El Raval have a chance to discover the untold intimate experiences, and everyday stories of people
whose lives touch these spaces of the city.
We are focusing on The Ciutat Vella District, literally meaning ‘Old Town’ in Catalan, as it is the core of Barcelona and comprises the ancient Barri Gòtic, as well as El Raval, La Barceloneta and El Barri de la Ribera.
Even within this small geographical space, the character of each neighbourhood is entirely different to the others; from the winding streets and alleys of Barri Gòtic packed with “antique” shops, old traditional cafes and upmarket restaurants exclusively for tourists, to El Raval with its hip vibe, multiracial, dynamic, and full of skateboarders and students whiling away the hours on its few open spaces.
Frequently tourists and visitors enjoy and experience the city by photographing and observing its history, architecture, food, people… but what about Barcelonians? How do local communities experience their own city? How could we involve locals and commuters while they are, for instance, on their way to work or in their lunch break?

The aim of this project is to portray the everyday lives of El Gòtic and el Raval.
The installation will take form through an ‘active puzzle’, an urban element in a rectangular shape, full of images and colour. Its finding will influence visitors’ decision on whether they want to continue walking or spending some time in the space interacting with the installation.

The ‘active puzzle’ can be used for a number of various purposes with the common theme of the players enjoying their time discovering, learning or remembering their city, adding value and
interest to the streetscape.