The I Love You Project® is a global initiative involving multi-media art installations in different cities around the world. Our first project took place in the neighborhood of Raval in Barcelona, Spain in March 2011. The exhibition at Galeria aDa in Raval ran from May 19 through June 4, 2011. The show included portrait photography, video, voice recordings, and music. It was an immersive experienc
e sharing the beautiful faces and voices of the people who live and work in Raval. This technology, which is actually a child's toy, creates unexpected images that play with skin tone, contrast, and light. Silent videos play with a delay, creating a dreamy quality to the images as people say "I Love You" into the camera in whatever language they prefer. Their voices were recorded separately to compose a soundtrack. Participants represented eighteen different languages reflecting the diversity of Raval. Furthermore, the experience itself - saying "I Love You" into the camera, caused participants to react in unexpected ways - showing the power of this phrase. This interaction, and the connection participants had with the artists and other participants, is what made this project so emotional. The community of Raval has experienced tension due to intolerance and crime. This community houses a large population of immigrants, and is predominantly working class. Through this project, we hope to unite the members of the community, and show Barcelona and the world that change is accomplished through love.
