At first glance, it might seem strange that shopkeepers would pay hard-earned money to graffiti their businesses, but it is actually not such a surprising thing to do. After all, there is nothing all that inherently attractive about persianas. Business owners are opting to join their enemy, and in doing so have created an urban fashion. A walk through night-time Barcelona reveals a variety of graffiti art. Clothing stores, hairdressers, pubs and restaurants are the driving forces behind this alternative decoration, which they say also helps to attract customers.
Pilar Palou can be considered a pioneer. Before retiring, Palou was the owner of Marcs Palou. They sell not only frames, but paintings as well. In 1986, she employed Martín Carral to paint her store blind, and the resulting work is still there. When the shop is closed, the graffiti shows a man pushing up the blind, and some people going into the store. “I knew the artist, I used to sell his paintings,” explained Palou. “I was very fond of art, so I thought about doing something innovative for the shop. I asked Martín Carral whether he could paint on the blind. I knew what I wanted—the graffiti had to show Marcs Palou open when it was closed. As it was a challenge, he accepted.”
Jordi Sales, who runs the business today, sells postcards with a photograph of the graffiti. He revealed a secret: on the postcards there is something that is not original, a tag on the blind. Apart from that small detail, 22 years later the graffiti has stayed exactly the same. Jordi Sales explained that now they are thinking about new graffiti, this time on the ceiling. “We have had dampness stains coming from the neighbour above, so it would be great to cover them with a graffiti.”
Some graffiti artists travel long distances to take advantage of this attitude and leave their marks. Pablo López, for instance. The 22-year-old’s most recent graffiti is on the blind of Inopia, the tapas bar run by Albert Adrià—Ferran Adrià’s brother—and the team of Taller del Bulli. Although López lives in Girona, he mainly works in Barcelona. “Girona is not as modern and creative as Barcelona,” he said.
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