Fifteen art galleries and studios in Barcelona's Gòtic neighbourhood have formed a new association, BarcinoArt, to increase their visibility in a district grappling with tourism, commercial changes, and a decline in local visitors.
The Associació BarcinoArt officially launched on Tuesday at the Hesperia Barri Gòtic, aiming to establish a new artistic hub in Barcelona's historic centre. The group also wants to give a collective voice to spaces that previously operated independently, according to its president, painter Alejandro Miras.
The association, which represents 15 galleries and studios, had been in development for about 18 months before its official presentation. It seeks to organise an existing concentration of artistic venues that lacked a common identity or shared representation to the neighbourhood, visitors, and the local administration.
"It's not easy to make a living from this. So we said, 'why don't we join forces?'" Miras explained during the launch. He said the project began when he opened a gallery in the Gòtic and discovered other creators, workshops, and exhibition spaces nearby with similar interests. "The association proposes to have its own voice to be able to reclaim our essence," he added.
Reclaiming the Gòtic's Artistic Spirit
The network plans to be more than just a map of galleries. Miras stated one of its goals is to "recover the artistic spirit of the neighbourhood". BarcinoArt's founders envision it as a platform to revitalise the area socially and culturally, strengthen local commerce, and offer a cultural tourism alternative in an area strained by tourist pressure.
Miras argued that art can help project "a friendly and authentic image of Barcelona" and stressed the importance of attracting local residents to the historic centre. He acknowledged that attracting Barcelonans is a challenge, noting "there has been a disaffection of the population towards the Gòtic, towards the old town."
To counter this, the association plans gallery routes, open days, workshops, masterclasses, demonstrations, and urban drawing activities. The board is also considering an annual collective exhibition and a quick-painting competition to fill the neighbourhood with easels.
Addressing Neighbourhood Challenges
Miras admitted that opening a space in the Gòtic today "is not cheap" and "is complicated". However, he avoided making high rents or tourist pressure the project's main focus. "Social problems are evident, but we have tried to put them aside and focus on our objective: to promote culture and thereby promote neighbourhood commerce," he said.
The City Council has welcomed the initiative as further proof of a broad desire to strengthen cultural activity in Ciutat Vella. Fèlix Ortega, the district manager, said projects like BarcinoArt will help "put the Gòtic in a positive light", especially the southern part of the neighbourhood. This sector, he pointed out, needs "to find initiatives" to stop being merely a transit area to Barceloneta.
Ortega placed the association within a wider strategy to restore cultural centrality to the historic centre. He mentioned the transformation of La Rambla, the recovery of the Teatre Principal, the future digital arts hub in the Foneria de Canons, and the new Ciutat Vella usage plan, which the council expects to approve this May. "The identity of what we want Barcelona and the city centre to be relies heavily on culture," he affirmed.
Elvira Garcia, representing Barcelona Oberta, also linked the initiative to the need to revitalise Ciutat Vella. The entity, which represents 24 commercial areas in the city, nine of them in the district, celebrated BarcinoArt's launch as an opportunity to combine culture, commerce, and territory. This comes at a time when the historic centre seeks to regain appeal for residents, visitors, and local economic activity.
The Hesperia Barri Gòtic has offered itself as a meeting point between the hotel sector and the neighbourhood's artistic community. Its director, Lucía Arroyo, said the project should serve "not only for visitors or hotel guests, but also for the people of Barcelona". She also called for collaboration between hotels, businesses, and cultural spaces in the area.
BarcinoArt includes spaces such as Alejandro Miras Atelier, Jaume Tenes Art Gallery, Javier Blanco Art, Blue Frame Gallery, Peio Quin Art, Barcel-one, Ciutat7 Gallery, Metal & Co Gallery Studio, Torre27, François Darras, Port Gallery, Katharina Arndt, Drap-Art Gallery, Base Elements, and Paam. The association now aims to add more gallerists and artists from the Gòtic to expand its network, hoping to turn the old town into a place where people can once again view art, enter workshops, and recognise local cultural activity.
