ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
At Swab, we understand contemporary art as a broad territory of exploration that transcends the scope of the market. For this reason, the Swab Barcelona Foundation promotes non-profit initiatives that expand the dimension of the fair, reinforcing its commitment to experimentation, diversity and sustainability.
From a critical perspective, the foundation articulates projects that promote inclusion, education and the strengthening of artistic communities globally. In addition, it values community practices that integrate art, territory and ecology.
Swab moves away from the conventional hierarchies of the market to consolidate itself as a platform of visibility for emerging spaces, experimental collectives and alternative curatorial approaches. By bringing together proposals from different geographies, the fair fosters the exchange of new forms of thought and creation.
Through its foundation, Swab presents projects that present new ways of understanding the artistic process in the context of the fair.
INITIATIVES AND PROJECTS
01. MYFAF – MY FIRST ART FAIR
With the aim of promoting new voices in contemporary art and facilitating their access to the international fair circuit, the MYFAF programme grants three selected galleries a free stand, giving them the opportunity to present their proposals for the first time in a global fair context.
This initiative supports the projection of emerging spaces in the market, offering a platform that prioritises artistic relevance and opens up opportunities for projects in their initial stages that would otherwise have limited access to this ecosystem.
The Swab Barcelona Foundation also invites individuals and companies to join the Swab Friends programme, an initiative that supports the growth and consolidation of emerging galleries in the art scene. Thanks to this support, many have managed to evolve and become benchmarks on the international circuit.
Each contribution directly helps to finance their first participation in an international art fair, increasing their access and visibility in the professional sphere.
SELECTED GALLERIES 2024
01. Studio/Chapple, a contemporary art gallery located in Deptford, South East London.
02. Tube Gallery, Palma, whose mission revolves around fostering cultural exchange and facilitating intercultural and intermedia dialogue.
03. PLATO, a multidisciplinary platform for creation, experimentation and production dedicated to contemporary art located in Évora.
02. VIDEOBOX – VIDEO ART PROGRAMME
Vídeo Box is a non-profit programme dedicated to experimentation in video art, conceived as a platform for artists working in this medium and as a way to explore creative territories that the format allows to deepen.
Its aim is to give visibility to emerging projects in regions with a dynamic cultural fabric, where innovation and the expansion of artistic communities challenge conventional paradigms and offer new perspectives on contemporary art. Many of these territories lack an institutionalised art circuit, which limits the projection of their creators on the international scene.
In this context, video art becomes a sustainable tool and a vehicle for dissemination, allowing artists to transcend geographical barriers and access new audiences. By presenting these works, Vídeo Box highlights the creative and intellectual potential of these contexts and establishes a platform for underrepresented voices to connect with the global artistic ecosystem.
03. SOCIAL PROJECTS, COMMUNITY ART
The fair develops and supports community projects that promote collaboration, sustainability and the construction of new collective imaginaries. Through initiatives that link artistic practice with the territory, Swab promotes proposals that encourage the conservation of heritage, the active participation of communities and intercultural dialogue.
PROJECT 2024: PERHUTANA – JATIWANGI ART FACTORY
Perhutana, a project by the Indonesian collective Jatiwangi art Factory, aims to reclaim an 8-hectare plot of land earmarked for industrial development and transform it into a sacred conservation space.
The initiative promotes the creation of a collectively owned forest, imitating the transactional logic of the real estate market and proposing an alternative idea of progress. Contributors to this project receive a 4 m² plot of land, earmarked for the creation of the forest, along with a terracotta certificate designed and crafted by Jatiwangi artists.
This initiative not only promotes the conservation of Indonesia’s forests, but also supports the cottage industry and strengthens the local community fabric. In its participation in Swab, the project explored traditional terracotta production practices, with a focus on the Catalan industry, through collaborations with local artisans and historic factories.
By supporting Perhutana, participants contributed to a broad dialogue on ways of progress, knowledge preservation and territorial development in harmony with community values.