The mythical Ou com balla is renewed this year so as not to miss its annual appointment with the people of Barcelona and other curious people. But, due to the drought, there is a big difference this 2023.
As they already advanced from the Institute of Culture of Barcelona, only the fountains that work with a closed circuit have water, in practice, those of the Cathedral and the Ateneu Barcelonès, since they have animals in their cloisters.
The restrictions on the use of water in the Catalan capital are part of the exceptional phase of the Drought Risk Action Protocol.
In this third phase, municipal ornamental fountains are stopped with the sole exception of those that contain aquatic life, in addition to the prohibition on filling private pools and watering gardens and green areas, with the exception of survival irrigation.
Adaptations aside, the Ou com balla can be seen this year in up to 21 spaces in Barcelona, among which are courtyards such as the Frederic Marès Museum, the Academy of Good Letters or the Palau del Lloctinent.
Following the tradition, those who want to go to one of these points will be able to do so until this Sunday, June 11, at times that may vary depending on the location of the center.
Among those who have to adapt, the monastery of Santa Maria de Pedralbes has proposed a static egg with a transparent thread. It is found attached between branches above the basket that recalls the rib of Corpus Christi.
The floral ornamentation also follows a careful technique that makes the flowers maintain their freshness without water, explains Montse Casas, a teacher of Floral Art Decoration at Tallers d'Oficis de Barcelona Activa.
The person in charge of this project, which seeks to improve the employability of young people who are unemployed and at social risk, welcomes this year's measure and considers it "a very visual way to raise awareness about the problem of drought."
Nor does he see it as an inconvenience to attract visitors this year, quite the contrary. And he remembers that the tradition was not lost during the confinement due to the pandemic either. Elsewhere, the Ou com balla will be air-powered this year.
The other key element, complementary and by no means a substitute, is that of the flower carpets, which this year, in addition to Pedralbes, will be inaugurated in eight new spaces.
The floral decoration reproduces elements that can be found in the enclosure of the Pedralbes monastery, such as a 16th century image of a triton.
In the case of the monastery, this classic decoration of churches and streets for the religious festival of Corpus Christi takes the form of the Pedralbes coat of arms. It has been developed by the students of the Taller d'Officis Barcelona per la Natura in the Environmental Monitor specialty, with the collaboration of the Guru Special Education School.
