The idea of the Fundació d'Agrupació de Cases d'Innovació, Cultura i Art de Catalunya (ACICAC) began during the pandemic and is now a success story, which aims to bring several more spaces in the city (and throughout the country) back to life, recovering not only heritage but also history, and linking it with the present and the future. You talk to its business vice president, Abel Julien, and you learn that, when you thought you knew the city, there were corners right under your nose waiting for a second chance. These people believe in second chances and make them possible. When an important piece is missing in the city, someone always appears to save it.
--- Who are you and what do you do in Barcelona?
--- We are a foundation dedicated to recovering the heritage, not only material but also immaterial, of Barcelona (and outside Barcelona) so that it does not remain neglected and in ruins. We detect pieces of cultural, architectural, historical, or industrial heritage (buildings, apartments, premises) in danger of degradation and restore them. But we not only restore them physically, but also in soul: we give them content. A second life, which is not only linked to culture, creativity, or innovation, but is also economically viable and, therefore, self-sustainable.
--- And how did it start?
--- It all begins with the obsession of our president and founder, Sergi Miñano, who, just before the pandemic, had already noticed the space that now houses Casa Rius, in Enric Granados. Well, then it wasn't called that: they were abandoned warehouses that hid an impressive and enormous space in the middle of the Eixample and had been unused for years. Sergi consulted the city's historical archive and little by little learned its secrets: and it is that, oppressed behind so many walls superimposed over the years, the remains of a modernist workshop by architect Salvador Puiggròs began to appear, where the artist Josep Rius, a renowned sculptor of altarpieces, nativity scenes, and sacred art, made his sculptures. A man who, it seems, when he was a child already made small sculptures from rabbit bones around Santa Maria del Mar, and who in 1912 established his workshop in what is now Casa Rius. Therefore, it was possible to recover not only a beautiful container but also to give it back a cultural and creative use.
--- What use?
--- The seven arts. Inside Casa Rius there are differentiated spaces for literature, plastic arts, performing arts, cinema, music, dance, sculpture… and architecture, of course, which encompasses everything. There are also common spaces where "things happen," which means we host events of all kinds. Being a very central building, this activity has acquired a very important weight and allows cultural activities to be produced sustainably.
--- And how does the story continue?
--- After the rapid success (from 2019 to 2021 the project was completed, and from 2022 it grew exponentially), we thought it was good that Casa Rius was not a unique experience, but rather led to a whole line of heritage recovery. And it is that, if all this can be done in one space, it can be done in many. And there are many spaces about to fall. From there to finding new projects for emblematic spaces, and to creating the legal figure of the Foundation, there was only one step.
--- For example?
--- For example, recovering how we are recovering an old 2,000 square meter home at number 114 Paseo de Gràcia, at the foot of the Jardinets, where the Ferrer-Vidal family lived. A bourgeois lineage linked to the president of the Ateneu Barcelonès and first president of the Caja de Ahorros de Barcelona.
--- Lluís Ferrer-Vidal?
--- Exactly. Well, his son lived in the house more, but they had a mezzanine for social events and a main floor for family life. A kind of duplex. Afterwards, the house was horizontalized and divided, until now, when we are unifying it again. We are also recovering the parts that were damaged.
--- And what will its name be?
--- Casa Ferrer-Vidal, of course. We want to be strict with history and active in its dissemination. And in the space we will find three differentiated areas: the mezzanine, where the important Galería Comas was located a few years ago, will be Espai Comas, where we will hold continuous art exhibitions and some private events (which are already operational); on the main floor, on the other hand, will be both the headquarters of our foundation and a whole space for shared work.
--- Coworking?
--- Coworking no: shared work. We don't want to imitate models from outside and we don't want to be cold, nor do we seek to attract large investors or startups, but rather this space will be dedicated exclusively to people who want to develop a project related to art or culture.
--- And any other projects in the pipeline?
--- We will differentiate between "Foundation houses," meaning bought or rented, but self-managed by us, and "associated houses," meaning spaces where we can work with collaborators, owners, or operators with whom we share values such as the promotion of culture and historical heritage, love for Barcelona and Catalonia…
--- And shouldn't all this be done by public authorities? The City Council, that is?
--- It should not be the sole actor, but it should be the main one, and not so much in the actions ---which also---, but in terms of regulating and promoting, that is, establishing aid, subsidies, and facilities. In other countries, the State is very directly involved, as with the French châteaux, and in others, like Italy, private actors play a greater role. Here, what is lacking is much more awareness, support, and determination in this preservation, on the part of all administrative and political bodies.
--- Now throughout the country, it seems they want to recover the masias.
--- And in Barcelona, there are also masias! These projects like the Caçadora de Masies are very good and can provide an outlet for demographically depressed areas in rural settings. But these policies have more to do with a country model, with changes in life, in uses. We are looking for houses that also have a certain historical pedigree or a very marked identity. In Badalona, for example, we are in negotiations with the city council for Ca l'Arnús, in Can Solei Park, a building that was owned by a great banker that is now abandoned (or occupied), because the heir was expropriated about twenty years ago, and we want to save it by giving it creative and cultural uses.
--- But you also spoke of intangible heritage…
--- Yes, mastheads of extinct magazines, or century-old brand premises that must close and for which we are looking for an alternative location: we want to save the Milano brand, which had to close as a jazz club because it couldn't pay the rent, and offer it a new emblematic space! We are also trying to revive Casa Macià, in Alcarràs. And the cinemas of Avinguda de la Llum!
--- How?
--- Yes, the first underground shopping center in Europe is located in Barcelona, right now under the Sephora store on Pelai street. We want to recover at least the part under Bergara street, where there was an underground cinema. And it's clear: make a cinema.
--- An underground cinema?
--- We want to recover something that already existed, being faithful to its history. We are talking with Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat. But give us time, public entities are slower than private properties.
--- Anything else?
--- Every Friday we dedicate ourselves to looking for new locations and spaces to recover. We don't have an S.L. spirit but a foundation spirit, meaning we don't seek profits but sustainability. And each time we are more surprised by the unknown or unused heritage of the city: the cannon factory, the Teatre Principal, the Montjuïc lighthouse, the State sub-delegation there in Pla de Palau, the Post Office building…
--- Some of them already have a project.
--- I know, and hotels have also helped a lot to save heritage, like the Cotton House. In any case, we want to focus everything more towards the local public, not just potential international clients. Passeig de Gràcia 114, for now, opens in early January. All three spaces, suddenly. I wouldn't miss it.