Visiting Attic'08 - the Ideas and Inventions Fair of Vilanova

Today Attic – the International Ideas and Inventions Fair – opened up its doors and since my oldest son’s summer school starts only next week, we were fast to go there (entry € 5 for adults, € 3 for children under 10).

Vilanova has a good reputation in this area since during 13 years a fair under the name Galàctica used to be organized here. After a one year break, the concept was streamlined in order to fit into the relatively limited but highly suitable space of Neàpolis, the local centre of communication technology.

The exhibition of smart, sometimes funny new products called NIDEA was my personal favourite, but my son got impatient with me reading all the explanation texts. In the Wii Zone, it looked as if he would enjoy playing “live” computer games but, unfortunately, he turned shy and decided to leave right before it started. However, he is highly content with our visit since he persuaded me to buy a new generation spinning top (baldufa) in the fair shop (Supermercattic). When you shoot it onto the floor it splits into several rapidly spinning cones.

Attic is open until Sunday June 29 (10.00-14.00 and 16.00-20.00) and judging from the media coverage, it will be a success – even TVE had found the time to come to Vilanova today.

Up-date: Today, Friday, I brought both our sons to the 'Dummy Zone' (the outdoor area of Attic). Here, among other things, nice staff help young and old alike to explore concepts like magnetism, gravity and speed - a workshop version of CosmoCaixa. Our children liked this so much that I had to drag them home. A word of advice: come here in the late afternoon, around lunchtime it is far too hot. (Here you will find a short video of our visit.)

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Ja que no vam visitar mai Galàctica no puc comparar amb el format d’abans, però l’espai de Neàpolis em sembla perfecte per a una feria d’idees i invents. Al Diari de Vilanova de la setmana passada podem llegir que en Josep-Tomàs Álvaro, regidor de Promoció de Ciutat, pensa que la fira “ens tornarà a situar com a punt de referència”. Segons la cobertura de mitjans de comunicaicó que ha tingut Attic avui, és possible que té raó, però personalment no estic convençut.

La part NIDEA – un saló de 30 útils, però sobre tot còmics invents de tot el món – m’ha agradat molt. No obstant això, la fira d’expositors he vist com una confirmació que novetats importants no s’estrenen a ciutats tan petites com la nostra. Si els invents que podem veure a Attic’08 fossin entre els més revolucionaris (cosa que es pot esperar d'una fira que es diu 'internacional'), el món tindria un futur fosc. Per sort no és així.

Per casualitat hem coincidit amb l’acalde Joan Ignasi Elena. Llàstima que no ha mostrat ell el mateix interès a les noves tendencies de morrals per a gossos com el meu fill gran.

Actualització: La 'Dummy Zone' a la gespa darrere Neàpolis és interessant per a gent de totes edats, però sobre tot per als nens. El personal pedagògic explica conceptes com ara la gravitat, la velocitat o el magnetisme i als meus dos fills els ha agradat tant, que he tingut problemes de fer-els tornar a casa. Us recomano visitar per la tarda. No n'hi ha res de sombra i pel matí fa massa calor. (Aquí trobeu un clip que vam fer de la nostra visita.)