Transformation of Contemporary Art in the 12th edition of Swab Barcelona Art Fair

Discover innovative artistic proposals and meet first-hand local and international artists who are committed to exploring the limits of expression. The International Contemporary Art Fair Swab Barcelona Art Fair has reopened its doors until next Sunday in the Italian Pavilion of the Fira de Montjuïch.

Creators who open the way to what will be the future scene of contemporary art. With this premise its Director Joaquin Diez-Cascon kicked off yesterday, Thursday, during the press screening of what is now its 12th edition, confirming the presence of 75 galleries from 5 continents. An edition that will also allow thanks to the platform Artsy be able to visit the fair in real time, as well as buy at all the stands.

About 15.000 visitors have visited Swab in their respective editions. With the aim of surpassing this figure, this year it proposes various curated programs, prizes and activities that aim to demonstrate during this weekend that this unavoidable appointment with contemporary art can be much more than a fair.

From the General programUntil the MYFAF (My First Art Fair) passing through the Swab Emerging with galleries that have already participated in fairs but that have a maximum of 5 years of experience; the Swab Seed; the Swab On Paper curated by Carolina Díez-Cascón with surprising creations developed on this support; Ephemeral curated by Caterina Almirall that supports the creative fabric of the city with the participation of resident artists in Barcelona creation factories such as Hangar, La Escocesa and Fabra i Coats; Reading; Mexico in Feminine that vindicates the position of women in this context through the work of four artists; swab kids; Swab Performance y SwabThinks; make the activities and initiatives carried out this year turn contemporary art into a challenge with a total capacity for transformation.

Specifically the program MYFAF Since 2011, it gives the opportunity for a young gallery that has never participated in a fair to present its proposal under the full sponsorship of the organization. There are four that in this edition concur in this section: dilalica, Nodress Gallery, Soyuz e Hiatus Projects who bets, for example, on works as groundbreaking as those of the Italian artist Stefania Zocco.

Creating synergies between the public, artists, galleries and curators is one of the objectives of this fair founded in 2006 by a collector like Joaquín Díez-Cascón who wanted to unite two of his great passions: Barcelona and contemporary art. A unique opportunity that allows you to exchange impressions with someone who represents the veteran in the sector such as Pilar Carbonell, director of palmadotze located in Santa Margarida i els Monjos and with no less than 30 years of experience, until chatting with the young Chilean photographer and artist Philip Lavin that participates for the first time in the fair with digital works in audiovisual format through the gallery Santa Rosa Art Factory.

Breaking stereotypes typical of this market, such as its hermetic and elitist image, is not an easy goal for any fair that faces the opinion of the general public. Even so, Swab seeks to create opportunities among visitors by promoting initiation into collecting at affordable prices and betting on the acquisition of works that bear the signature of artists with a lot of talent to offer.

All this and much more is what you can find if until next Sunday you go to the Montjuïch Fair in Barcelona.