The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely. All art is quite useless. —Oscar Wilde
Good art should have the power to engage, be accessible without needing a doctorate. Yet a small amount of knowledge can provide greater appreciation. Art inspires, whether figurative, abstract or conceptual. When it works, it ignites an organic response in people. Though so does Coca Cola. Art should be free.
In both crisis and boom times, art is fundamental. Every civilisation has produced it. While it may argue for justice, it has often been used as propaganda. It encourages progress—to go beyond what is known, or can be touched with the senses—and imaginative exploration. This is essential for human growth, for the future. Art explores that uncharted territory which science may one day map. Art is valuable, so is often locked away; yet this is incompatible with its purpose, which is to reach out, communicate and ignite.
Barcelona Free Art offers free art to people visiting this city. Maybe we can also alert the locals to a few works they didn’t know much about. We want to avoid boring academic essays. We’re giving you the artwork we like, or on which not much has been said. So you won’t find much by Gaudí. It’s also basically free. You should be able to see everything without paying anything. (In a couple of cases you may want to part with a few euros to get a better view.)
We aim to move beyond the centre and encourage you to do so too: by metro, by bike or on foot. We’re offering routes, but we also want you to make up your own. Therefore we aren’t suggesting a strict itinerary for you to follow. Connect to Barcelona Free Art on your mobile, or print out the maps before you set out.
We have no limits but our own time; that’s why we’re starting with just a few routes and tags. These will grow. All text and photos are original. When we reference something from someone else’s site, we say so. We love feedback and comments, so tell us what you think. Enjoy Barcelona Free Art.
