The Kid Should See This

Animated sketches from a Barcelona square: Solos by Gabriella Marsh

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Who do you see when you sit in your local city park or a public square? These charming animated sketches, Solos by Gabriella Marsh, capture the sights and sounds seen and heard in a square in Barcelona, Spain. Aeon accurately calls it “an elegant celebration of people-watching.”

calling to a balcony
barcelona square activity

Barcelona’s squares (places in Catalan, plazas in Spanish) are the beating heart of the Catalonian capital – beloved to residents and tourists alike. Breaking the monotony of the city’s gridded streets, these open outdoor areas percolate with the comings and goings of al fresco diners, makeshift football matches and all iterations of art and commerce. Formed from sketches made while the London-based filmmaker Gabriella Marsh was living in Barcelona, the brief animation Solos captures daily life in a small square in the historic GrΓ cia neighbourhood. Streets are swept, families squabble and friendly greetings are exchanged. And yet these mostly mundane scenes transform into something quite remarkable via Marsh’s stylish hand-drawn images and composer Joe Bush’s gentle piano score.

barcelona square
Watch these animations next:
β€’Β The Red Thread (血い糸): A single line tells a story
β€’Β Al Jarnow’s Cosmic Clock (1979)
β€’Β James Nares’ STREET
β€’Β What is public life?


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