From Paola Marugán, tea-tron.com/paolamarugan

When it comes to enclaves of open creative space for the performance arts, Gràcia is a high-density treasure trove. The district’s windows are illuminated with collective artistic efforts and the flurry of bare feet on hardwood floors. One cultural initiative of this ilk is La Felpa, whose resident artists have been experimenting their socks off under the tutelage of curator Berta Sumpsi since 2004.

This month, La Felpa programs a second offering of Hipocampo, a performance-based series driven by combined “experience and reflection” which seeks to shine a light on the intricacies and rhythms of the creative process itself. The Hipocampo_2 project has been specially structured to juxtapose the verbal and the non-verbal as a means of stimulating response, with one half devoted to interactive debate and the other to physical movement as performed to an audience. The opening half, PENSAMIENTO-DEBATE, kicks off with a presentation of recently published book Off the Record about anthropological concepts of historical memory by its authors, UAB professors Mireia Calafell and Begonya Sáez Tajafuerce, with further ruminations from participating artists leading on to a “multi-directional” round table debate.

The idea that performance hinges on three basic elements – its development, its action and its response – is fleshed out in Hipocampo_2’s second half, ACCIÓN with a set of six distinct pieces of work, each lasting around half an hour. In Roberto Martínez’ Zónula, photography and music become essential tools for an examination of the creative process, while Alejandra Mizrahi and Pilar Talavera’s joint untitled effort draws on the methods and mechanics of textiles and Laia Estruch’s low-key and anecdotal Jingle explores the effects of a catchy tune and playfully ponders how it may benefit her self-promotion as an artist.

lafelpa.com