Act II: Uniqlo Corridor¶
Conceptual Framework¶
This project examines how an intimate, partner-based movement danced by two women can momentarily shift the behavioral expectations of a highly commercial and touristic public space. The chosen site directly in front of the Uniqlo store on Passeig de Gràcia—operates as a corridor of consumption, photography, and spectacle. In this environment, bodies are expected to circulate smoothly, observe passively, and engage primarily as consumers. Public movement is shaped by branding, storefront displays, and the constant presence of people documenting their surroundings.
By introducing a slow, relational tango into this setting, the intervention tests how the dominant rhythms of tourism can be subtly disrupted without obstructing pedestrian flow. The act is not framed as entertainment for passersby but as an alternative form of presence inserted into a space where performances are typically commercialized or curated. The dancers’ gesture introduces a non-transactional, non-commodified action that contrasts with the commercial logic of the boulevard.
The act generates a temporary autonomous zone within a space governed by consumption, surveillance, and constant visual capture. This temporary zone appears through embodied action: normative tourist behaviors like photographing, browsing, rushing that are interrupted or renegotiated in the presence of a movement that does not seek their attention. The act is neither a street performance nor a promotional gesture; rather, it becomes a method for observing how tourists respond to an encounter that sits outside their expectations of entertainment or attraction.
This framework focuses on how different forms of spectatorship emerge: who stops, who records, who ignores, and who reroutes. It also considers how the dancers manage visibility and vulnerability in a context where observation is habitual and often intrusive. The intervention reveals the tensions between individual autonomy and commercial spectacle, between embodied presence and the consumer choreography that structures touristic public space.
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Protocol¶
To create a temporary autonomous zone within a narrow underground metro corridor by dancing tango between two women, observing how this embodied interruption reorganizes public flow, social behavior, and spatial perception.
Site Selection¶
Identify the exact spot in front of the Uniqlo store on Passeig de Gràcia, focusing on an area where: pedestrian flow is steady but not dangerously dense, visibility is high due to storefront lighting tourists naturally pause to take photos or wait.
Timing¶
Choose two different time slots: midday (high tourist activity) and early evening (transition between commuters and tourists).
Observe for 5–10 minutes before starting: note crowd density, security presence, and performer safety.
Preperation¶
Agree with your dance partner on: the duration of the dance (3–7 minutes per activation) which tango pattern to use (slow, grounded, minimal steps) how to enter and exit the space Decide in advance how to signal discomfort, interruption, or the need to stop.
Activation¶
Enter the space casually, without theatrics. Begin dancing immediately, maintaining slow tempo, compact frame, non-performative movement. Avoid facing the public intentionally; keep the dance self-contained.
Observation¶
Observe from the documentation: how tourists react (stop, record, ignore, reroute, stare) whether storefront staff or security respond how pedestrian flow shifts how your own body reacts to visibility, attention, or discomfort
Documentation¶
Use a small phone camera placed discretely nearby or have a friend record from a distance. Capture: crowd behavior interactions or non-interactions atmosphere of the site duration and intensity of the activation Also capture the site before the act.
Debrief¶
Immediately after the act and at the site, note or record: emotional responses physical sensations unexpected tensions or moments of intimacy any incidents or interventions