The El Prat Whale to El Prat / Return
This project came into being when Consol Llupià learned the story of a 19-metre-long cetacean that washed up dead on the beach of El Prat de Llobregat, near Barcelona Airport, on 12 May 1983. This historical and social event remained engraved in the collective memory of the residents of El Prat and Barcelona and the skeleton ended up being displayed in Barcelona Zoo until the spring of 2018. Consol Llupià has been working on the case in a bid to have the whale’s skeleton returned to the Mediterranean Sea in May 2020, coinciding with the 37th anniversary of its discovery (and the artist’s birthday). In a public event that will demonstrate the many relationships forged during the realisation of this lengthy project, Llupià proposes to weave a dialogue between diverse institutions, organisations and communities in the fields of the environment, science, energy, the law, society, sports, humanism and art, reactivating a new formula for the relationship with nature and a new world view on its conservation.
https://consolllupia.tumblr.com/
RADIO PROGRAMS
Consol Llupià’s radio programs consists of an episode-by-episode explanation of the long process of the Whale from El Prat de Llobregat to the present day. At the start of the month, before she posts material online, the artist will bring the new programme in person to Espai Índex. If you’re round this way, you might come across her.
Program # 1:
Two years ago, the news of a stranding of a whale of 19 meters on the beach of El Prat came to my life. The year I was born. Search in Google for "Whale 1983". The common whales migrate along our coast from March to June. It was the owner of the skeleton installed at the entrance of the Bcn Zoo. You can't hear this type of Whale when they talk because they VIBE. We asked it with our vibrations if it wanted to go home.
Program # 2:
The El Prat Whale to El Prat was invited to be part of the World Marine Mammal Conference, celebrated December 7-9 of 2019 in Barcelona titled: “Art as a tool for Communication, La Balena del Prat al Prat. Art, science and other languages to revise how conservation is.” My thanks to Luigi Bundone Archipelagos - ambiente e sviluppo, Italia and Volker Smit of www.m-e-e-r.org.
This is my contribution to the conference.
Program # 3
In order to know the natural space where El Prat Whale arrived, I did a field research with my body.
I walked the perimeter on foot at different times of the day and night, I learned to handle the Catalan Skate in El Prat Maritime Club, and there, in front of the El Calamar Chiringuito, there is a Foundation where I volunteered from May to August 2018.
During this time I discovered: which relationship do I have as a human animal with the sea and which relation and links do I have with other non-human animals that cohabit with space.
I have stopped eating meat, I am in the process of Residue 0 and I have removed all my leather wardrobe and shoes from my closet.
