- Between ambition and recognition.
Barcelona is an ambitious city and is committed to establish itself as an important place for contemporary art. Swab Barcelona, which recently held its eighth edition in the Italian Pavilion of the Fair Barcelona, is an example of this.
Swab was founded by the art collector and its current director Joaquín Diez-Gascon. It was established in 2006 with the idea of giving greater significance to visitors, the ultimate receivers of the art work. By doing so, it aims to break the elitist image that often surrounds the world of contemporary art, making it more accessible to the general public.
Swab also aims to encourage collecting art. It tries this by seeking to attract young artists with affordable works. Likewise, it has created opportunities for emerging galleries, newly initiated artists and curators giving them access to the art market. With that purpose it has designed a program like MYFAF. This program invites galleries with less than two years of age and that have not participated in any international exhibition to present the works of artists born after 1970.
This year, with the participation of 65 galleries from 22 countries and over one hundred emerging artists, Swab Barcelona was divided into several programs. The General program was shared by galleries from Spain, Argentina, Germany, Cuba, Hungary, Australia, China and other countries. In this section, «Servando» gallery of the Genesis group (Cuba) took part exhibiting the work of three young artists with currently ascending careers. David Velazquez, Adonis Ferro and Jorge Otero.
There were other programs as Only Swab, Swab Seed, Swab Performance, Swab Gate, Zhongguo: the new picture of China and the MYFAF area. At all times it became clear that identity is the highest feature of this event. Swab Barcelona wants to be a fair for discovery, not for beholding the works exhibited in other art fairs.
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