Light show revealing 'unknown world of mushrooms' opens in Barcelona 

A light show with more than twenty installations that reveal the "unknown world of mushrooms" has opened in the Torre Girona gardens in the Pedralbes neighborhood of Barcelona. 

'Origin' runs until January 21, with organizers saying it offers "a luminous experience in which you will discover one of the earliest known life forms on Earth" via light tunnels, projection mapping, glowing figures and other lighting effects. 

Alice in Wonderland 

'Origin' is the latest 'Natura Encesa' (Nature Aglow) project. The first show went on display in Madrid in 2020 before being installed in the Pedralbes gardens in Barcelona. 

Visitors will "feel like Alice in Wonderland" when they walk through the display, said Iñaki Fernández, director LetsGo, the production company behind the show.  

Although Spanish energy and petrochemical company Repsol is the principal sponsor, the installation is powered by "renewable energy," Fernández said.

Protest at the gates 

A group of around fifty demonstrators gathered outside the show on Monday evening, claiming the installations compromise the biodiversity of the gardens. 

The show "has already, before starting, caused serious damage to the flora and fauna of the area, which compromises its biodiversity indefinitely," the protesters argued, adding that the installations "produce light and sound pollution that seriously disturbs the life of the fauna in the park." 

The director of LetsGo said that he were saddened by this attitude and insisted that they have complied with all requirements. 

"I'm sorry that [protestors] think this about us, and I hope that little by little they will realize that 'Natura Encesa' is not bad for the park," Fernández concluded. 

Entry 

'Origin' is open at the Torre Girona gardens in Pedralbes, Barcelona from Monday to Sunday from 6 pm to 10:45 pm.

General tickets for adults cost €16.50, with family discounts available. It runs until January 21, 2024.