Art Galleries in Barcelona
When you get back from a holiday in Barcelona while your friends will be asking you of stories of crazy nights out and how the clubs differ from your hometown your parents may have different questions. Barcelona is a city world renowned for its art and culture. Sagrada Familia is one of the most well know and unique churches in the world. They might well scold you if you don’t even go and see the outside of it whilst you are here. But if you really want to impress them, you should tell them about an art gallery. Parents love that stuff. But not only will you get better a couple of gold stars from the old fogies you will also open your eyes to some pretty spectacular work. So here is a run down of the best art galleries in the city, try and hit up at least one while you are here!
Museo Picasso
Carrer Montcada 15-23, Barcelona, Spain
The Museu Picasso houses one of the most extensive collections of artworks by the 20th-century Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. With 4,251 works exhibited by the painter, the museum has one of the most complete permanent collections of works. The museum is housed in five adjoining medieval palaces in Barcelona’s La Ribera. It opened to the public on 9 March 1963 becoming the first museum dedicated to Picasso’s work and the only one created during the artist’s life. It has since been declared a museum of national interest by the Government of Catalonia. If you are going to see just one gallery this is definitely the go to!
Open times Tues-Sun 9am-8.30pm, Mon 10am-5pm
12.50 euro Entrance
Fundació Joan Miró
Parc de Montjuïc, Barcelona, Spain
Josep Lluís Sert, who spent the years of the Franco dictatorship as dean of the School of Design at Harvard University, designed one of the greatest museum buildings in the world on his return. Approachable, light and airy, these white walls and arches house a collection of more than 225 paintings, 150 sculptures and all of Miró’s graphic work, plus some 5,000 drawings. The permanent collection, highlighting Miró’s trademark use of primary colours and simplified organic forms symbolising stars, the moon, birds and women, occupies the second half of the space. On the way to the sculpture gallery is Alexander Calder’s rebuilt Mercury Fountain, originally seen at the Spanish Republic’s Pavilion at the 1937 Paris Fair. In other works, Miró is shown as a cubist (‘Street in Pedralbes’, 1917), naive (‘Portrait of a Young Girl’, 1919) and surrealist (‘Man and Woman in Front of a Pile of Excrement’, 1935). In the upper galleries, large, black-outlined paintings from Miró’s final period precede a room of works with political themes.
Open Tue-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 10am-3pm, Mon closed
Entrance 12 euros
Artevistas Gallery
Passatge del Crèdit 4, Barcelona, Spain
Launched in 2007, Artevistas Gallery focuses on the promotion of young contemporary art talent as a springboard to their promising careers. The gallery works with more than 50 artists, such as Markus Aub, Conrad Roset, or Matt Sesow, and holds a collection of over 800 artworks, displaying paintings, drawings, photographs and sculptures with an eclectic set of styles and techniques. Situated in an architecturally stunning setting in Barrio Gótico, close to Las Ramblas, the gallery is housed in the same building where painter Joan Miró was born. Artevistas Gallery presents, in two different spaces, its permanent collection and a temporary solo exhibition every six weeks.
Open 11am-8pm daily
Free entrance
PLOM Gallery
Carrer de Sèneca 31, Barcelona, Spain
PLOM Gallery was the first Spanish contemporary art gallery created for children. Believing in the power of art as a formative tool to stimulate children’s creativity, imagination and self-esteem, Martha Zimmermann created this innovative project in 2013 with the aim of teaching kids to appreciate the beauty surrounding them. A unique feature of the project is that it includes, in addition to the certificate of authenticity, credit to the child artists behind every single work, thus forging an emotional link between the child and the art. The gallery offers a selection of original works and a limited series of painting and illustration, from artists such as Miju Lee, Sergio Mora, Brosmind, Amaia Arrazola,Vanessa Linares and Marta R. Gustems. PLOM also hosts exhibitions, workshops and activities designed to promote the creativity of children, and the adults who accompany them.
Open 10am-9pm daily
Entrance free
Taller Creativo Bencini
Carrer Semoleres 10, Barcelona, Spain
This one is slightly different as it is not only a gallery but a workshop as well.
It is located behind Santa Caterina Market, which is worthy of a look for its postmodern architectural design and its vividly multicoloured, wavy roof. From here, head to Federico Bencini’s, where you’ll find a bright space full of his magnificent monotype prints created on wood and metal. He will be glad to explain the process to you if you are unfamiliar with it. Sharing the taller is Raúl Pernia, a sculptor who creates amazing organic set pieces. Together they can transform an interior into a cutting-edge wonder. Turn left upon leaving and have the pleasure of getting lost in the art haven of El Born.
Open daily 11am–2pm, 5pm–8pm
Entrance free
Eat Meat
Carrer Alzina 20, Barcelona, Spain
Located in the Gràcia, an area chock-full of boho shops, trendy cafes, and few tourists, is Eat Meat, a non-profit cultural organisation dedicated to the principle of “art for laying bare contemporary obsessions [which include] mutations of form and essence, hybridisations, new visual engineering, the sickness of the soul, other rituals, the monstrous, the transgeneric and alterities”. Camping Cannibal was the most recent exhibition by sculptor Nico Nubiola, whose stunning wood relief pieces, without being macabre (trust me), depict mutilated human bodies “like chickens in a supermarket”. Take a walk on the dark side and confront the depths of the human psyche. If you are a fan of Damien Hirst and his Shark in a Tank then this gallery is right up your street!
Open Thur–Fri 6pm–9pm, Sat noon–2pm, 5pm–8pm
Entrance free
If you don’t want to pay to see some art while you are here do take in one of the free galleries showing the more contemporary works. They are well worth 30 minutes of your time!