NN SHUTTERS fills its blinds with art
The NN SHUTTERS initiative resumes actions related to the shared urban space of Barcelona. Because improving the space contributes to enhancing the environment and the perception of the people who live and pass through it. Thus, following the alliances that the Group has been weaving with renowned artists from the Barcelona scene, such as Carles Roig, who created six two-meter murals on the modernist dome of La Rotonda, the various artists and creators who have contributed to the development of the distinctive identity of the hotel REC or the 40-meter mural that surrounds the old Metalarte factory site in Sant Joan Despí, where the urban artist Pez Barcelona pays tribute to his city, Núñez i Navarro takes a further step in its commitment to adding value to Barcelona through a series of murals created on the shutters of some of its parking lots and commercial premises.
Each one designed by a different artist: Joan Tarragó, Sergi Delgado, Marga López, Jana A. Abril, Nadia Hafid, or Pol Montserrat are some of the chosen ones to start bringing this project to life. And at the helm of this talented selection is Xavier Franquesa, creative director and founder of the design gallery Il·lacions, a regular collaborator of Núñez i Navarro and a staunch advocate for everyone contributing what they know, from their expertise and virtuosity, creating what he calls a “group intelligence”.
Xavier, when did your relationship with the Nuñez i Navarro group begin and what was your first project?
We started collaborating 18 years ago. I was working at Alfredo Arribas's architecture office developing the B Hotel project next to Plaza España and we wanted to incorporate an artistic concept that would give the hotel personality. We invited three creators, Frank Aleu, Rafael Vargas, and Studio X from London to create graphic work related to Barcelona and its letter B, intended to adorn the lobbies, corridors, and rooms.
Then came the Soho Hotel. I took charge of the concept and identity of the hotel, understood in a global sense: the personality it should project, its look and feel, etcetera. We wanted the naming to reflect a double entendre, 'So' from 'Soft' and 'Ho' from 'Hot'. Thus, we created a fun, urban, and cosmopolitan image. In that project, we always played with this duality between soft and hot, with different lighting in the room, with double images... together with Frank Aleu, we developed this very suggestive dual personality.
And that in the case of Hotel REC has been spectacular…
The REC has been a much more complex and lengthy endeavor, spanning 10 years. After several changes to the initial project, I proposed to do something sustainable that would involve the maximum participation of various creators from the city. In this case, I was in charge of communication, corporate identity, and also creative direction, including the interiors. The aim was to imbue the project with the creative spirit of Barcelona, from the very entrance to the Lounge on the top floor, encompassing all the rooms and corridors with ad-hoc work by all the invited creators, resulting in a range of styles, disciplines, and colors that extraordinarily enriched the project. Right upon entering, it is noticeable that we are in a space very different from any other hotel. And this is what we intended.
We have now seen that there is a mural by Pol Monserrat in the Bonsuccés parking lot. What does this project consist of?
At Núñez i Navarro, we are always looking for those kinds of projects that act as a catalyst, bringing sensitivity and soul to the environment. They proposed starting with four of their shutters. The idea was to work on large surfaces and, just as we did with the REC hotel, we sought out very different artists to carry it out. I like to take them out of their world, as is the case with Pol Monserrat, an illustrator who usually works in small format: paper, DIN-A4... and who is delighted with the experience. We also have Jana A. Abril, a rising star, who will create her second mural. We also have the renowned muralist Joan Tarragó who will paint two at once, and Sergi Delgado who has just finished a very special one in collage format: realistic faces mixed with pop art graphics at the Hotel Jazz, and it turned out quite well.
Marga López surprised us with her proposal. She went to see the location of her shutter in a parking lot in Bonanova and realized it was always up and no one could see her work, only the person in charge of opening in the morning. After finding him, she went to meet him and ended up paying tribute to him with the following message: “Good morning, Cristian” and below “call your mother” with a yellow heart. A completely different and unpredictable approach.
What was the initial idea of the project?
The initial idea has two aspects. The first is to prevent graffiti and the second is to add value to the neighborhood. If you contribute well-done work to the neighborhood, its residents feel more involved and you manage to make them respect the environment more. And if you carry out many interventions of this kind, you create a global awareness that generates a bond with the city.
In this project, you had a very clear idea of the artist selection from the beginning, right?
Exactly, it's the reflection of a long journey. I already know the artists and empathize with their work, and we grow together with each new project. You have an almost daily relationship with them and trust in their work, and the result is always very good. Of course, with eyes wide open, broadening the view, to discover new talents and expand the network of artists.
Always artists from Barcelona?
Yes. It is important that they work in Barcelona and feel comfortable in the city. Some were not born here, but have decided to stay and make Barcelona their city, where they can develop creatively.
And you, as the conductor of it all... All the artists you've worked with highlight the tremendous freedom you give them to work in their own way.
For me, it's very important. I have always worked this way. It's like a collective intelligence. I want the project to be made up of small intelligences, each one contributing what they know, from their specialty and their expertise. In this way, everything adds up. If you start to limit them, you're not letting it flow. The important work is the selection. If you choose who you want to work with and you know them, you already have affinities, then everything flows better. In that sense, I also act as a curator. I have a design gallery and my job is to know how to combine all areas, making sure that in the end, it all comes together as a whole.
Speaking about art in general, you are the founder and director of the Il·lacions Gallery. What is its function?
Il·lacions is the design gallery of creators from Barcelona. This concept, a design gallery, is not very well understood here. But if you travel to London or Paris, you see that a gallery is a platform for showcasing designers, in our case local designers, who bring out their full potential but not with an industrial or mass-produced product in mind, but rather focusing on the object itself. This means that it is either a unique piece or a limited series and handcrafted. They are pieces of special value, which do not seek so much functionality but rather emotion and beauty.
