Barcelona theatre replaces audience with plants

A mix of cheese plants, ficus trees and palms served as the audience for a live-streamed concert, and the plants were donated to frontline health professionals

Spotted: Music meets nature in Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu’s reopening concert. A mix of cheese plants, ficus trees and palms served as the audience for the live-streamed concert played on 22 June 2020. Following months of closure due to the coronavirus, the venue’s first concert was a collaborative performance of art and music. The UceLi Quartet played Puccini’s “Crisantemi”, and artist Eugenio Ampudia filled all 2,292 seats of the auditorium with plants.

Working with the Max Estrella Gallery, the videos and images of the performance will be on display as part of a contemporary art collection. After the concert, the plants were donated to frontline healthcare professionals. As part of Liceau’s return to activity post-pandemic, the performance was a commentary on the interaction of humans and nature.

Citizens around the world have been awed by the re-emergence of natural life in the city during the COVID-19 crisis. Environmental campaigners have been swift in calling for a complete redesign of some aspects of life, particularly transport and approaches to work-life balance. Two urban planning changes Springwise has spotted are the 22-million-square-foot car-free district planned for Shenzhen, China, and the sustainable neighbourhood being built in Tirana, Italy, with co-working space and communal gardens.

Explore more: Arts & Entertainment Innovations | COVID-19 Innovations