More than 800 artists will be taking part in the artistic programme that the Institut Ramon Llull has prepared for the Frankfurt Book Fair, at which Catalan culture is the Guest of Honour. At midday today, some fifty of them accompanied the director of the IRL, Josep Bargalló, and the head of the Creativity section, Borja Sitjà, at an event to present the artistic programme.

More than 800 artists will be taking part in the artistic programme.

Josep Bargalló described the programme as "extensive and ambitious" and asserted that "we want to go to Frankfurt as a culture with a thousand years of history that is not just a museum-piece culture". "Not only do we not want to appear commonplace, but we have tried to be surprising, not taking the easiest option, but rather the most creative one", he revealed. As an example he mentioned the joint participation in the Sònar Nights by Carlos Santos and motorcycle trials champion Adam Raga.

Borja Sitjà explained that the programme had been built round two core themes: Tirant lo Blanc, to be directed by Calixto Bieito and premiered in Berlin before opening in Frankfurt, and Sònar, which will organise four Sònar Nights in Frankfurt. Sitjà stressed, "We wanted to make a programme that would be very present-day, demonstrating that we don't live in the past but have a live, eclectic culture," and announced that certain coherent concepts would be taken to Frankfurt, such as Sònar, MACBA or the Òpera de Butxaca (Pocket Opera).

Calixto Bieito has revealed some secrets about Tirant lo Blanc, which will be premiered in Berlin and features two big names: Carles Santos and Marc Rosich. "It will", he said, "be a festival of words, of life, death and war. People will feel as if they are inside the book." The mediaeval language will be kept, he said, because "it is beautiful".

The director of Sònar, Enric Palau, said, "It's really very interesting to be taking part in Frankfurt". The four nights being organised will be a combination of cuisine and musical performance. One of the main innovations will be the "Reactable", an interactive music machine, which was demonstrated during today's presentation.
 
The director of the MACBA, Manuel Borja-Vilell, said there would be a presentation of his concept of the gallery in "tension" with the concept of Kunstverein. Perejaume will also be taking part but has said only that his contribution will be "a kind of flag". Antoni Rimbau, of the Festival d'Òpera de Butxaca, also announced that the two operas being performed in Darmstadt will be premiers of the works El Saló d'Anubis and La Cuzzoni.

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