Carlitos y Patricia
Every day, we follow pre-determined paths almost mechanically, like puppets controlled by invisible strings… Always the same steps, the same balconies, the same square, but not always the same stories. Real or unreal? That’s what the advertising agency Carlitos y Patricia leaves to our imagination with their latest work, Unreal Stories in Plaza Real. This personal project, into which they have poured two years of photographs and anecdotes, recounts events that may or may not have happened in Plaza Real.
Knock, knock! Is this where you tell Unreal Stories in Plaza Real?
Yes, welcome to The Plaza, our office with balconies overlooking Plaza Real.
No matter how many times you’ve passed through the same square, you’ve always found a new story to share with the world, because sometimes you need to look with different eyes to find something new in the everyday. Who initiated or felt the need to search Plaza Real for stories to tell?
Carlitos y Patricia describe themselves as a boutique of ideas and brands, and Unreal Stories in Plaza Real is one of many projects they incubate as part of their creative process and as an experimental ground. Some projects, like this one, grow big, others remain in the drawer, and many grow independently without knowing what they’ll become.
I imagine that initially, you didn’t think about the value of all these stories, but after two years of writing and with such an iconic square as the protagonist, this book has become a true treasure for tourists seeking a different souvenir and for the locals of Barcelona. When did you decide to compile all the stories into this book?
Almost from the beginning, we knew we had enough material to turn it into a book. Just look at our giant library to understand that we love books and everything tangible that makes us step away from the omnipresent screens. But since the publishing world is not our domain, we took it easy, enjoying the process and learning along the way.
We know that there isn’t a single person behind this project; several hands have brought these stories to life. But who has been behind the entire creative process from start to finish?
Carlitos y Patricia, along with Olga, Nuria, Edu, Cristina, Ana, Andrea, Melissa, and Eva… Everyone who has passed through Carlitos y Patricia’s Plaza in these two years has contributed to the process.
In the stories, we find prostitutes, tourists, brave fish… Bits of reality mixed with others not so real. How much of these postcards is real and unreal?
When you mix and shake the everyday reality with a dose of exaggeration and a few drops of fiction, you get stories like Unreal Stories. In fact, there are incredible things we’ve seen in the square that aren’t included in the tales.
We all love to see a personal project succeed, especially when we’ve invested two years in it. Have your expectations been met?
Absolutely, since we opened the first copy. To touch and smell a project that lived on a blog for two years fulfills all our goals. Making the virtual tangible is something we love, just as much as ham. Whatever comes next (watch out, Ken Follett!) will be more than welcome.
One of the things I like most about this book is its format; for people like me who hate writing postcards, it’s the perfect gift. Where can we get it?
For now, it’s available in our web store and by email request. As we mentioned earlier, the publishing world, distribution, and sales aren’t our strong suits. So, if any distributor reads this interview, please contact us (laughs).
They say reality sometimes surpasses fiction, which is why I like to think that these 100 stories happened, that they were real, and that you were there. But this is not the end… Can you give us a sneak peek of your new projects?
This year, we aim to turn our social project 1010 WAYS TO BUY WITHOUT MONEY into a non-profit foundation; for several months, we’ve been clandestinely organizing something called Full Moon Run, and among other things, we continue to nurture and grow an Instagram profile called @cactusmagazine, which seems destined to eventually take the form of a printed magazine… However, the most important project, planned for 2016, is still a secret that we’ll reveal in another interview!