Spanish opera house reopens with a concert for plants

Barcelona's Liceu theatre is reopening with a rather strange first post-lockdown concert.

opera house plants

by Lorna White |
Updated on

There'll be no need for social distancing or masks at this very peculiar concert, where a string quartet will play Puccini for a huge potted audience at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona.

After a three month closure of the grand venue because of coronavirus, artist Eugenio Ampudia has decided to fill the red velvet seats in the famous opera house on La Rambla with 2,292 plants instead of a human audience. The ‘Concert for Biocoenosis’ will see a string quartet perform Giacomo Puccini’s ‘Crisantemi’ (‘Chrysanthemums’).

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The idea asks that we examine our relationship with nature. It also recognises health workers who have been on the front line, as 2,292 healthcare professionals will each receive one of the plants, accompanied by a certificate from the artist.

“At a time when an important part of humankind has shut itself up in enclosed spaces and been obliged to relinquish movement, nature has crept forward to occupy the spaces we have ceded,” said Ampudia in an interview with the Guardian.

“And it has done so at its own rhythm, according to its patient biological cycle. Can we broaden our empathy and bring it to bear on other species? Let’s start by using art and music and inviting nature into a great concert hall.”

And although no humans will be allowed to watch the concert in person, you will be able to live stream it to watch from the comfort of your home.

How you can watch the concert at home

You can tune into the concert by watching the video below. You can watch the concert at 4PM BST.

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