Nau21’s description & objectives

Nau21 is an open space destined to cultural exchange, brainstorming and the production of projects that require interdisciplinary collaboration. A resource centre and a meeting point for all activities related to Science, Art and Technology.

Three timelines converge in this project, inspiring general objectives that are, at the same time, particular objectives of Nau21.

a common past: memory and experience

Project Nau21 was born from the experiences of many people and associations of Barcelona in close relation to Can Ricart’s milieu. Associació Nau21 gathers artists who’ve worked at Can Ricart (members of Associació AXA – Can Font), people who’ve participated in the last period of its activities, managers of creative spaces in the city, members of the free-software movement, scientists and many others. This multidisciplinary group was asserted during a public event about Creative spaces in Barcelona that took place in November 2005 at Can Ricart. That is why memory, common past and treasured experiences are the project’s starting points to generate three working-lines:

- history documentation, evolution and situation of creative spaces in Barcelona.

- recovery and improvement of the creative network that has defined Poblenou and Can Ricart for years.

- recovery and enhancement of the relations between creative, industrial and social spaces; that is to say, the social network that has existed up until recently at Can Ricart.

an ever-flowing present: constant collaboration and adaptability

The memory and experiences above mentioned allow us to have a very particular vision of the present situation. Experience has showed us the big advantages resulting from collaborative work, the exchange of points of view and the progressive construction over flexible structures. These are the keystones on which we set the following goals:

- to participate in the definition of a new conception of Can Ricart’s spaces and implementations.

- to develop projects with the participation of diverse productive sectors in order to strengthen the synergies between production centres, workshops, schools, research institutions, etc.

- to revive Can Ricart as a centre of cultural exchange and meeting point that seeks to increase citizens’ participation in making a city.

a projection into the future: public domain

The third timeline of Nau21’s objectives projects us into the future, guiding us towards a new conception of public domain, taken as a strata that doesn’t belong to the State or to the Market but to society, and therefore, is managed by society itself. A new autonomic public domain acknowledged by institutions as a true means to participative democracy.