Living off the air in Sant Jordi Desvalls in the most unusual place

Sant Jordi DesvallsThe vast warehouse of Airearte, in Sant Jordi Desvalls, is like an expanding continent, capable of absorbing everything that boils in Lluís Mohedano's mind. A space that grows like one of the giant inflatables that have allowed its creator to literally live off the air for forty years. The building, a former onion and potato drying facility, has become over time an artifact difficult to classify: an art gallery, a concert hall, a stage for theater, dance, and poetry. coworking It's an improvised space for workshops and, at the same time, a bar where cocktails and small plates mingle with relaxed conversations. Initially, it only opened occasionally, coinciding with exhibitions, but since last summer, now with a bar license, it's open every day and hopes that a growing clientele will validate its original and constantly evolving concept.

From the inflatables at the bar

Mohedano has been making inflatables for four decades. He arrived in the Empordà region from Barcelona, ​​where he ran The Air Shop, a unique shop on Carrer dels Àngels, opposite the MACBA (Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona), where he would come and create his inflatables. From there came pieces for shows, advertising, and film. His inflatables have adorned spaces like La Pedrera, Casa Batlló, and the Hotel Majestic, and some of his monumental jellyfish swam in the opening ceremony of the Barcelona Olympic Games. He works with nylon, polyester, and all kinds of fabrics; some inflatables are sewn, others are attached, and the largest require motors to constantly inflate them. He created a twenty-meter-diameter sphere for a Mango event at the Palau Sant Jordi and a twenty-five-meter-long snowman for the JB whisky brand. Ephemeral art that sometimes lasts for a whole year, like the inflatable dinosaur that was in the IMAX theater at Barcelona's Port Vell.

Mohedano is a rare combination of artist and craftsman. "I make inflatables because I wanted to make a living from air, and I've been doing it for forty years. I delve into the most complex and artistic projects, where others don't want to go," he says. He rented the warehouse to have space to manufacture, but over time he grew a little tired of inflatables and everything shifted towards something else. "It's come about organically, like how I live my life."

Bottling 20th-century air

Among his most eccentric ideas is bottling 20th-century air in front of a notary. He has a thousand bottles and hasn't sold a single one yet. He dreams of a daring marketing campaign to generate interest: breaking a hundred bottles every month. He sells them for sixty thousand euros and has no intention of lowering the price. He turned down a million euros from Russian investors who wanted to buy them all. He openly admits that the business "isn't working yet," but he's stubbornly persistent: "I could starve to death, but life has shown me that perseverance pays off."

A year ago, Laura Sánchez, from La Bisbal, was drawn to the Airearte chalkboard as she drove past. First, she fell in love with the space, and then with Lluís. Since then, they've been a couple and run the project together. "It's all thanks to the chalkboard," they joke. She works at Antic Bisbal and knows her way around antiques. They live next door to the shop, promote initiatives like the Festival of Light, now in its third year, and are constantly brainstorming new projects: dog parties, camping trips in the garden, or, as they've already done, inviting everyone to a lentil dinner for Boxing Day. The crazier the ideas, the more people they end up attracting.