Protest with bubbles against the Art Cologne fair at the Congress Palace: "It elitizes art and touristifies it"
The demonstrators criticize tickets of up to 70 euros and restricted access. They denounce that the fair contributes to touristification and excludes the local population
PalmaA group of people staged a protest action this Thursday in front of the Congress Palace against the Art Cologne fair. The participants, disguised as souls in pain or bubotes, carried out a performance to denounce that this cultural event "favors elitism and contributes to the "touristification" of the island.
According to criticism, the initial communication for the fair was mainly in English and some access, such as on the 9th, was reserved for VIP guests with tickets costing up to 70 euros, which, they consider, makes it difficult for the local population to access. During the protest, participants displayed banners with messages in Catalan and English such as "We are not your souvenirs", "If we don't act soon it will be too late" or "This is our home". The tear-shaped banners reinforced the idea of mourning and loss.
One of the members symbolically represented Mallorca in tears. With this action, the demonstrators wanted to express "the sadness of an island mourning the cultural elimination of its inhabitants" and denounce that it is becoming a space designed only for "transient people, tourism, and fake residents." They also claimed the right to housing, which they consider "a fundamental right that is not being defended."