SWAB 2024: Many clear, some obscure

As in the works of Caravaggio, the light and dark are a reflection of life, a sufficiently eloquent metaphor. After visiting the last edition of the Swab fair, I was left with this feeling.

First of all, holding a fair of these characteristics in Barcelona is something of great added value, of merit. It is basically focused on emerging and young creation, despite the fact that the limits of youth, now that we will live for 200 years, you never know where they end.

The cultural proposal is well thought out. It incorporates innovations that we already see at the best international fairs, such as artistic co-creation spaces, new underground spaces, with a small but interesting section where art and industrial design are related (as in Art Basel Design). The Asia and LATAM (Americas) focus section also provides an interesting exchange of views with long-standing artistic ecosystems in the international sphere. The proposals for conferences and related events also help dynamism and generate new citizens who approach the event.

Having said all that, and praising the efforts of the Díaz family - promoters of the event - now come the obscure ones. The new location has neither the glamor nor the positioning that the old pavilion had. An art fair is basically a space where gallerists come to make contacts and make themselves known, but especially they come to sell and, as happened to ARCO for many years, which had to make up for cultural deficiencies by programming things that might not they would have noticed, Swab sometimes loses focus and must make efforts to enhance the acquisitions section and new and old collectors who go to buy. The presence of Catalan and city galleries is also very scarce.

Finally, Swab is an important event for Catalonia and for Barcelona, which has its place on the map of Spain and Portugal, but perhaps with more support (the 8 million of Manifesta is not needed) and with a better approach to its purpose, it would optimize the efforts, now I will say a word, towards a better artistic and cultural "efficiency". That the gallerists sell means that the artists sell, that means that they can live and survive with their creations and, ultimately, it means that people value the cultural and artistic fact and make an effort so that it can be maintained.