Summer concluded in Spain within the first or second week of October. We all said goodbye to the scorching heat, beach runs, and free time before deadlines, and the fast pace of everyday responsibilities consumed us. My social experience has been built on following recommendations from professors, reading about places, referring to social media, and also just stumbling across things on my daily commute.
In October, I was invited to a Kelela concert at La Paloma for free. Of course, I did not turn down the opportunity. I arrived and ended up having a decent time. Kelela has a great voice, and her songs are a fusion of futurism, avant‐garde, and the ethereal. My recommendation is that when you attend a standing concert, always put on comfortable shoes. Learn from me. My feet and my back were hurting, and folks behind me and beside me were moving around too much. Now, granted, this was a concert, and they are entitled to have the time of their life, but you also have to be mindful when considering someone else's personal space. I know how to have a good time and not smack anyone.
I also visited La Central del Raval for the first time during October. By the way, I plan to be a frequent patron. La Central del Raval is a large independent bookstore, which also has a café and a leafy courtyard garden. They have several locations and are considered an oasis for customers. Their book collection spans photography, food, comics, music, and more. I visited after my professor recommended the place to me. I fell in love, and literally when I went upstairs to use the restroom, I turned the corner, and my jaw dropped. One of the bookstore employees chuckled because of my priceless reaction. I love getting lost in information. Whether it is a museum, a library, or a bookstore, I am always in the mood for an adventure and a rabbit hole. I also had a two-hour conversation with a tourist from the Philippines who has been visiting since October. I asked her what the Wifi password was, and since then, we made plans to hang out and went to ArtsLibris, an international art book fair. I brought a collection of poems by Sun Ra.
Some of the most exciting experiences were my visits to The Erotic Museum and 48H Open House. Starting with the 48H Open House, this is an annual architectural fair. The festival opens the doors to buildings and spaces that are normally not showcased to the public for one weekend. The program features 217 buildings across Barcelona. I visited Palau Moja, Reial Acadèmia de Ciències i Arts de Barcelona (RACAB), and Fundació Enric Miralles and Estudi EMBT on the Saturday of the two-day fair. I really enjoyed the Acadèmia de Ciències i Arts de Barcelona, Fundació Enric Miralles, and Estudi EMBT. However, my all-time favorite place was Torre de la Creu, designed by architect Josep Maria Jujol. Jujol worked closely with Antoni Gaudí and is actually described as his creative partner. I came back from Torre de la Creu and sketched a variation of it inspired by a drawing that I saw by the artist Carlota Gutiérrez Font. It's interesting because when I was younger, I remarked that I would design my future house, and seeing the work by Jujol motivated me. I think I'll need loads of resources, time, and a creative collaborator to work with, but hopefully it can be done.
Lastly, the Erotic Museum was interesting. I learned about the history of the chastity belt, John Lennon and Yoko Ono's erotic practices, the history of vibrators, Marilyn Monroe’s Playboy era, anti LGBTQ legislation, and non—monogamous cultures. The most interesting thing that I learned about was the origins of the chastity belt. The chastity belt was used to dissuade women and their partners from sexual temptation and to prevent masturbation. Quite oppressive. Another thing that I noticed at The Erotic Museum was how small the LGBTQ+ history room was. I can only imagine how museum goers who are in the LGBTQ+ community, such as myself, could benefit from a space that not only depicts queer history substantively but also spatially serves as a thorough container for inquiry and reflection.
My creative sentiments and understanding have been heightened since coming to Barcelona, Spain. I am certainly leaving Barcelona different from who and what I was when I arrived. I am more than a poet, which was a title that I clung to for years and is something that I will always be at the core of my essence. After all, poetry is my first language. However, I am comfortable with naming myself as a multidisciplinary artist and researcher who is just exploring what life means right now. My interests are varied, including language, architecture, drawing, mental health, social justice and activism, music, etc. I love so many things and continue to learn about myself each day. On this journey, yes, I am discovering places, but the places are also helping me discover me. I hope that I leave Spain and continue to research, create, and ideate.
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Denim Fisher
Denim Fisher is a Spelman College junior hailing from Baltimore, Maryland at Spelman College. Denim is interested in poetry, museums, social justice, and film (she is a social justice fellow and John Lewis scholar at Spelman and performed and created a poetry workshop at the biannual Toni Cade Bambara Scholar-Activism Conference). As a literature, media, writing major with a double minor in comparative women’s studies and Spanish, she aims to pursue a career as a poet, novelist, and teaching artist. Denim loves archival research and aspires to have a literary career that honors memory, identity, and “knowledge that pertains to cultural, artistic, and historical records.”
