Granada looks into each other’s eyes: Pa-ta-ta Festival plasters the streets and buses with the energy and faces of its residents

• “Cartografía vecinal” (Neighbourhood Cartography) and “Líneas conectadas” (Connected Lines) are two artistic interventions protagonized by the locals that transform the street furniture into a collective mirror.
• The initiative, which seeks to foster the social fabric, aligns perfectly with the values of proximity and participation that characterize Granada’s bid for European Capital of Culture.

We have taken to the streets to bring the neighbourhoods’ creativity to every corner. The festival team has launched two urban interventions, “Cartografía vecinal” and “Líneas conectadas”, which turn the city into a large neighbourhood meeting area. Using photography as a tool, these actions allow the community to reclaim its own image, infusing public spaces with fresh energy.

The first of these, “Cartografía vecinal”, has plastered billboards throughout the city with the faces of the neighbours who have participated in the “Energía de barrio” (Neighbourhood Energy) project. Their gazes, full of both dreams and accusations (which have been addressed during the participatory process entailed by this project) challenge passers-by, creating a human and emotional map of Granada. To liven this map up, we encourage all Granada citizens to become urban explorers. We invite you to share on Instagram photos of the posters you find, whether yours or someone else’s. Don’t forget to tag @pa_ta_ta_festival!

The culmination of the project will arrive next Thursday, October 9, at the Isabel La Católica Theater, with an awards ceremony that will be held from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and for which there are no more tickets left. In this event, the neighbourhood that has demonstrated the greatest participatory and creative spirit will be proclaimed the winner, thus recognizing the transformative power of the community.

Culture travels by bus: “Líneas conectadas”

The second intervention, “Líneas Conectadas”, brings this philosophy into the public transport network. Thanks to the essential collaboration of the bus company Alsa, several bus lines have been decorated with images from different neighbourhoods.

Now, residents who use the bus daily will not only get around the city, but also recognize themselves in it. The faces and scenes that inhabit the public transport’s windows and aisles are a reflection of its own reality. Thus transforming everyday routes into an intimate and familiar journey.

Our commitment to Granada’s bid for European Capital of Culture

With these actions, the Pa-ta-ta Festival consolidates its commitment to Granada’s citizens, who, through photography, have conveyed their dreams and struggles, demonstrating that culture is built from the ground up. This commitment to an open, accessible and deeply rooted in the social fabric culture fully aligns with the objectives of Granada’s bid to become the European Capital of Culture.

A project that values, precisely, the capacity of a city’s cultural life to connect, represent and dialogue with each of its citizens, putting them at the center of the story.

The Pa-ta-ta Festival thus reaffirms its role as a cultural catalyst, weaving networks that unite artistic talent with the power of the community, and demonstrating that the most vibrant energy of Granada is that of its people.