This competition, now in its second edition, adopts the concept of Upcycling, which is defined as the process of transforming discarded materials into new products that have more value than the originals, without resorting to industrial processes. The main goal of the Drap-Art Upcycling Competition is to promote a sustainable culture in all aspects—social, economic, and environmental—by involving businesses in the Gothic Quarter, local organizations, neighbors, art and design students, artists, and designers, both professional and amateur, as well as visitors and tourists in an artistic and cultural event that creates connections between the various sectors of the neighborhood. The aim is to energize the area to make it more livable for residents, promote the idea that waste is a resource, encourage circular economy practices, and reuse materials that businesses would typically throw away, transforming them into art pieces or design objects. In the best cases, these could even be serialized, creating a collection that could be sold, allowing buyers to take home waste that they’ve generated, now transformed into art or design objects.
In the first phase of the competition, local businesses were invited to participate, particularly members of the Associació d’Amics i Comerciants de la Plaça Reial, by donating materials that they would have thrown away if it weren’t for the competition, to be made available to the artists and designers taking part, so they could transform them into works of art and design objects.
From the Associació d’Amics i Comerciants de la Plaça Reial, the following businesses participated: The Foundery with toners, LED light bulbs that no longer work, and coffee capsules, Pizzeria Rossini with tomato cans, Art i Sa with egg cartons, coffee packs, and soft drink bottles, Les Quinze Nits with bottles, Cervecería Canarias with beer barrels, Sidecar with CDs from their 25th anniversary, a router, and old concert posters, Glaciar with motorcycle helmets left behind by customers and beer barrels, and Fundació Setba with catalogs.
Hotel Do also participated, contributing bathroom trash bins.
A total of 40 artists, designers, and art and design students registered, 20 of whom submitted completed works by the deadline. Six finalists were selected by the jury, which consisted of Betty Bigas (artist and independent curator), Cristina Sampere (Director of Fundació Setba), Tere Caja (President of the Avinyó Street Merchants Association), Toni Parra (promoter of the Vacíamos y Donamos project), and Tanja Grass (President of Drap-Art).
Until May 30, the works of the six finalists will be on display at the Drap-Art Gallery. They are: La Dissenyeria de Joies with Germinador, Germán Bel with Pinotxo, Gastón Sanmiguel with Lámparas A & B, Jana Álvarez with Sidecar Girl, Experiencias Foto Sensibles x Me Lata with El Upcycling que crea arte, and Oymo_ with Nansa Contemporània. On this day, the winners will also be announced.
