Circus, poetry, and intangible heritage with Cia Voël at Park Güell

It’s about our land and the intangible treasures born from our culture—gifts we now share with the world. And the language chosen to express them is circus. That’s the proposal from Cia Voël in a performance that, fittingly, is titled Immaterial. Do you like poetry? Here it can be seen and felt, interwoven with circus and the cultural heritage of this place. Mark your calendar: Saturday, September 27, at 5:30 pm and 7:00 pm, at Park Güell.

But what heritage are we talking about exactly? The pieces that UNESCO has recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity from Barcelona and Catalonia. The show is part of the La Mercè 2025 program, scheduled just ahead of Barcelona’s hosting of Mondiacult, the UNESCO world culture forum.

In Immaterial, Debi Cobos and Jordi Serra—the driving force behind Cia Voël and creators of performances with a strong visual poetry—offer a circus piece inspired by the falles of the Pyrenees, when flaming torches descend the mountains each midsummer; the castellers reaching skyward with their fingertips; the thunderous crowds of Berga’s Patum festival; the hand-rung bells that still echo across towns and villages; and the ancient technique of dry-stone construction.

In Immaterial, Debi Cobos and Jordi Serra—the driving force behind Cia Voël and creators of performances with a strong visual poetry—offer a circus piece inspired by the falles of the Pyrenees, when flaming torches descend the mountains each midsummer; the castellers reaching skyward with their fingertips; the thunderous crowds of Berga’s Patum festival; the hand-rung bells that still echo across towns and villages; and the ancient technique of dry-stone construction.

Bringing those images to life are artists such as Emma Riba (dry stone), Josefina Castro and Daniel Ortiz (aerial frame), the Tirallongues de Manresa casteller group, Amer Kabbani, Guillermo Tricas, and Flor Galimberti (acrobatic balances), Xevi Pallàs (bell ringing), and Fèlix Cucurull (musical creation and live performance).

At the helm is Cia Voël, a company established in the field of contemporary circus with stage works such as Ex-libris (2019); Boira (a group piece co-produced and premiered at Grec 2022); and Nanuq (2024), their latest creation, also co-produced and premiered at Grec.

Alongside these, they develop Reditus, a large-scale site-specific project that reinterprets local legends and traditions. With it, they have premiered Dones d’aigua (2021–2022) in Sant Joan les Fonts, and El pou de la gallina, which opened the Fira Mediterrània in Manresa.

If you don’t want to miss Immaterial or the many other proposals of La Mercè 2025, check the festival’s website.