While Madrid gets its share of celebrity dripped, red carpet sightings at ARCO and Miami’s Art Basel has become a three-ring circus of sex, drugs and masterpieces, Swab  has become the cool, understated cousin with sun-kissed skin carefully vying for its undisputed place on the Mediterranean art circuit. Now in its fifth year, Swab returns to the Fira de Barcelona bigger and stronger with a brand new program and a focus on emerging artists. The formula is simple: use Barcelona as a backdrop, mix together the art world’s most impressive young artists and shake up with a fair share of music, street art, curators, fashionistas and bloggers.

This year Swab offers a more creative take on what an art show is supposed to be by presenting Swab Urban, Swab Off and Swab Music. These satellite shows hope to attract a younger crowd and a different type of visitor looking to enjoy art rather than to be intimidated by it. Swab also hopes to appeal to the more experimental collectors looking for a break from the severity of some of the other contemporary art shows worldwide.

Yet this same commitment to keep Swab relevant and embrace Barcelona’s contemporary art scene has also managed to paint the festival into a corner. How do you define a city’s art scene when the urban tribes which roam our streets – who often become the trappings of our own SoHo by the sea – are so diversely drawn? In a city where locals burn through trends so quickly, is it really possible to define which galleries have their pulse on the contemporary art scene? Over the last few years we have seen a creative tug of war between the clinical spaces with pristine white walls of the galleries north of Diagonal or on Consell de Cent and the ever-evolving roster of artists of the painfully hip galleries of the Born and the ethnic street scene of the Raval.

Despite rumors of high-end galleries placing pressure on Swab to focus solely on promoting “official” galleries, Swab has managed to appeal to both high and lowbrow collectors by offering a wide selection of activities allowing a cross-pollination of styles. This includes Swab Urban, devoted to Barcelona’s urban art scene, and Swab Music, an initiative organized in collaboration with Razzmatazz that will serve as a sort of indie soundtrack for festival. Confirmed artists so far include Arponera, Boreals, Doble Pletina, Hidrogenesse, Lasers, Internet 2, Sölna, That Girl With Dark Eyes. A new section this year, Swab Off will see a program of activities organized with collaborators around the city which aims to increase the visibility of contemporary art and bring it closer to the general public.

This year the festival will also present a panel series aptly called Talking Artists, an open table discussion of some of the most relevant and challenging issues facing today’s contemporary art scene, both locally and globally. The series, presenting ten artists selected by curators specializing in emerging art, will allow artists to explain their work, connect with a wider audience and focus on how to make Barcelona the place to turn to when looking for the next big thing.

This edition also marks the return of My First Art Fair, an area of the show embodying the spirit of Swab which invites a handpicked selection of galleries committed to showcasing the newest, most original artists putting brush to canvas. Here you will definitely not find gallery representatives dressed only in black with tiny eyeglasses and no smiles. Participating in MYFAF this year will be Barcelona’s new kid on the block MUTT, the city’s most artistic showspace and bookstore, showcasing a capsule collection of ten of their most interesting artists. MUTT’s curator Juanjo Fernández tells us, “I think Swab is an amazing platform for emerging artists as well as a fantastic concept which represents Barcelona,” but point outs that “it is important that the festival keeps growing and maintains its youthful appeal and nonconformist attitude; the great thing about Barcelona is its passion for design, music and art and these are the things which set this festival apart from the others.”

Echoing the importance of the festival’s evolution, Swab co-founder and director Joaquín Diez-Gascón is proud to inform us that this year Swab expects “over 20 thousand visitors and a selection of 65 galleries from more than twenty countries.” Not bad for a festival which started out five years ago with six thousand attendees and not so much of a second glance by the press.

This year will see Swab slowly coming into its own. According to Diez-Gascón, “This is a festival which has caught the art world by surprise. Swab has managed to distance itself from the parameters of what an art show should be.” When asked to comment on current trends in the art world, Diez-Gascón’s answer is quite simple: “Youth – right now it is all about young artists. Most of the artists at the festival were all born after 1980.”

While the rest of the world focuses on the established, it is great to see a festival reaching out to a generation which has come of age with the Internet and should have plenty to say in a post-digital age.

Inaugural concert: €8 (advance) / €10 (door), 1-day: €10 (advance) / €20 (door), 2-day: €15 (advance only), 3-day: €25 (advance only)

La Fira de Barcelona- s/n Av Reina Maria Cristina , Barcelona

Phone 93 233 21 98

Website:swab.es

Originally Published in : MINIGUIDE (MAY) by David Naveira

While the 99% percent were busying torching the streets and protesting the recent government cuts, the 1% continued their business as usual on Passeig De Gracia.

Follow us on INSTAGRAM and get a local’s view of Barcelona.

**For tips on what’s going on in Barcelona check out our Twitter Feed

This weekend (Feb. 10-12) Barcelona hosts the first annual LLUM BCN ’12. Over sixty nine of Barcelona’s most iconic buildings will be lit up in celebration of  the Santa Eulàlia festival.

This year the city has jumped on the digital bandwagon by offering a digital photo contest allowing visitors and locals to photograph buildings and artistic lighting shows using the picture sharing platform: INSTAGRAM.

The competion is simple- upload your pictures using Instagram, and tag your photo using the hashtag:  #llumbcn12

A jury will then select the top three images that embodies the spirit of the city. Prizes include: a Brompton Bicycle, A pair of Munich trainers or a dinner for two at the Moritz Factory.

For those of you participating this weekend here at Pulso we want to see what you guys are up to- follow us on instagram at PULSOBCN and share your pictures.

For More Information: www.bcn.cat/santaeulalia

Commuting in the 21st Century-

56 Meters deep into the arteries of Barcelona’s metro grid, the station at Iglesia Major is impressive in both its feat of engineering and futuristic aesthetic.

Comprised of four levels, glass elevators zip up and down the rails creating an effect which can be astonishing and terrorizing that the future is here.

*photo By David Naveira

If you like your girls like you like your jeans (cheap, skinny and trashy) head over to APOLO on Monday night (Feb 6th)  and raise your Budweiser to celebrate the 7th anniversary of NASTY MONDAY.

At this point Nasty Mondays has become a Barcelona institution for  glam rock, 80′s throwbacks, mixed with modern indie rock classics mixed by legendary God-like status DJ’s  MADMAX & SÖREN.

NASTY MONDAYS

Sala Apolo- Nou De La Rambla, 111 Barcelona

Now in its 15th edition DOCS BARCELONA contributes to an industry sector that is often left in the dark during  times of financial crisis.

On January 31st documentary film lovers can enjoy a week-long festival of documentaries showing at some of the city’s most iconic cultural locations. Thanks to a the generosity of these sponsors , Docs Barcelona continues to showcase the best documentary films  presented to a city whose never-ending thirst for culture is refreshing.

Unique in its format, Docs Barcelona acts as a springboard for lesser known international documentary directors as well as covering  a wealth of topics and points of views. From the periphery to the mainstream you can find all of this years selection here.

Docs Barcelona also serves as a platform for unfinished documentaries by helping unite independent film-makers with financial assistance in order to help these films receive regional and local distribution.  The festival has now become the third largest  financial forum in this aspect of the industry.  Each year the festival gathers more than 300 professionals from 36 countries and provides a forum which helps young directors sharpen their pitches and correctly market their film in order to help them gain the maximum exposure when promoting their work.

For more information  on venues & times:   DOCS BARCELONA.

Steps away from the bustling shopping boulevard of Passeig De Gracia,  elegantly situated on Calle Valencia sits  Cornelia and Co. A charming space in the Eixample, which bills itself as “The Daily Picnic Store”.

With a formula that makes it both a gem for locals and visitors alike, the success of  Cornelia & Co.  is its ability to evolve from uptown Lunch hotspot to a romantic desert haven without missing a beat.

An effortlessly chic eatery that is more NYC than BCN – this tastefully decorated cafe houses a great dessert counter, delicatessen shop,  gourmet cheese stand & fantastic lunch/dinner menus.

The staff while both friendly yet professional, reflect a off-the-cuff charm, that is usually hard to come by especially in Barcelona.  From the comfortable loft like open dinning space to the intimate sidewalk terrace; this is the place to stop by when craving a delicious cappuccino and homemade carrot cake.

CORNELIA and CO.

Barcelona Turns into Buenos Aires

The one thing about Barcelona that never ceases to amaze me is, its ability to hide the greatest treasures in plain sight. On a busy street, in the Raval, behind a tin door is the entrance to Barcelona’s most forward thinking design shop AMATO SOLE.

While most designers have felt the pinch and have not been able to produce their own pieces, AMATO SOLE is changing the way furniture is designed, produced and consumed with a back to basis approach which is both stylish and budget conscious.

While the thought of recycled design usually congers up images of Design School end-of-term projects.  However the design team  of Annamaria Amato (Archiect & Refurbisher) & Ramón Solé (Industrial Designer)  have taken over an entire warehouse and have converted the space into their Showroom/Home.

With an entire range of  flea-market finds, they put an emphasis on handmade designs which are both practical yet stylish. Their showroom covers all aspects of home designs from Ramon’s amazing designer lamps, to Anna’s recyled windows that get a second chance thanks to the AMATO SOLE touch.

At their recent monthly event which showcases up and coming artists, I got the load-down on their upcoming projects  from  vintage desks to original iron chairs exclusively designed in-house.

Their unique dining tables and benches are among the pieces which stand out. In times where home design is is limited to Swedish mass produced furniture, Amato Sole give buyers a chance to purchase their unique designs for a fraction of what most industrial designers charge for similar pieces.

Their love for materials textures and finishes comes through loud and clear with the amount of passion they put into every handmade piece.  Fall into the world of Amato Sole  and your home or office will never be the same.

Amato Sole - Furniture & Design
C/ Lleialtat, 6 local int
08001 Barcelona
info@amatosole.com
www.amatosole.com