Situated on the busy crossroads of Traveserrra de Gràcia and Torrent de l’Olla Gràcia Public Library houses an excellent collection of books, magazines, CDs and DVDs to lend.

It’s worth calling in to find out what’s going on in the barrio and across the city – with leaflets, free community newspapers and what’s-on guides, with some in English, French, German and Italian.

Non-Catalan speaking residents and visitors are made welcome and you’ll find a good selection of fiction, poetry and language-learning materials in all major European languages. The study area, with free wi-fi access, is open until 01:00. So, you can take your laptop along, catch up with your e-mail, and when you feel like a coffee, or a beer, put your laptop in a secure locker and stroll across the narrow street to any one of several café-bars nearby.

A library card gets you a good range of discounts on admissions to concerts, dance events, exhibitions, talks, walks and workshops at venues across the city. The staff are all very helpful and very knowledgeable.

I really appreciate the library’s core philosophy of promoting the written and spoken word as a tool for better understanding – a philosophy which is symbolised by the heiroglyphic, cuneiform, runic and ancient Greek script used in the artwork which decorates the entrance and stairwell.

You’ll find the library just along the street from the local market (see the Mercat de la Abaceria Central article).

 

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Vila de Gràcia Library | Art & culture, Relaxing
C/Torrent de l’Olla 104 | Gracia | +34932847790
Mon & Thu 16:00 – 21:00, Tue & Fri 10:00 – 14:00 & 16:00 – 21:00, Wed 10:00 – 21:00, Sat 10:00 – 14:00, Closed Aug 1 – Aug 15

Situated on one of the most interesting streets in Barrio Gotico, Sala Parés is probably the oldest privately owned commercial art gallery in the world.

Though the nameplate in the photo above says 1877 the gallery has been in business since 1840.

The gallery has the distinction of being the first gallery to publicly exhibit Picasso’s work.

The gallery has three public showing spaces and a private salon for clients to buy and sell work and have work they own valued.

The gallery represents a strong stable of international artists and has an impressive collection of 19th and 20th century Catalan and Spanish work.

At the start of the 20th century Parés played a significant role in launching the careers of many significant fine artists.

It would be unfair to singularly characterize the range of artwork you’ll encounter here — except to say it’s of consistently excellent quality. Well worth a visit.

And, have in mind that the gallery is just a few short steps from La Pallaresa (see the Pallaresa article), so you won’t have far to walk to find a good cup of tea, coffee or chocolate.

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Sala Parés | Art & culture | Free
Carrer Petritxol 5 | El Barrio Gotico | +34933187020
Mon 16:00 – 20:00, Tue – Sat 10:30 – 14:00 & 16:00 – 20:30, Sun (Sep – May) 11:30 – 14:00

MiTO is my current favourite contemporary art gallery in Barcelona. I really like the people who run it. I like the space. I like the artists who show work here. I like the artwork that’s shown here. And, I like the people who go along to view, and possibly buy, the artwork here.

And, what I really like about the gallery is that the exhibitions always surprise and challenge.

The gallery shows work from an international roster of artists, including U.S. based Brian Dettmer, Chambliss Giobbi, Erik Mark Sandberg and Christian Rex Van Minnen; Spanish artists Carlos Forns Bada and Javier Velasco and U.K. based Antony Crossfield among dozens of others.

A lot of the work shown here makes the work of the YBAs (Young British Artists) seem timid and stunted, trapped within a very English frame of reference. Some of the work shown here could be characterized as kitsch with kick, or glitz with guts. Bright and brash, dark and moody; all the work shown here challenges viewers’ perceptions and understanding of the human condition and the world around us.

I always look forward to exhibitions here.

Food for thought.

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MiTO | Art & culture | Free
C/Roselló, 193 | Eixample | +34932179012
Tue – Fri 10:00 – 14:00 & 17:00 – 20:30, Sat 10:00 – 14:00

If you enjoy a good art exhibition and enjoy interesting architecture then check out the CaixaForum, you’ll get to enjoy both.

The building, with five exhibition spaces, a mediateca, a kids’ art workshop, 350 seat auditorium, café-restaurant and gifts & books shop, is a former textiles factory. It’s a romantic re-invention of a medieval castle. When it opened in 1912 local people refused to believe the building was a factory.

It served as a factory for only eight years. In 1940 the abandoned building was taken over by Franco’s police as a stables and garage. The current complex opened in 2002.

To celebrate their first 10 years they have put togther an excellent exhibition programme. Two of the current exhibitions, Goya – Lights and Shadows features more than a hundred works from the Prado – and runs until June 24th.  And, Delacroix, features 130 works - and runs until May 20th, 2012. Both are well worth visiting.

From now until May 17th the building will be open until 22:00 every Tuesday and Thursday.  They have a good permanent collection – featuring works by artists such as Joseph Beuys and Sol Lewitt (who produced the permanent work you’ll see on the wall in the entrance). 

And, when done with wandering this inspired and inspiring building, there’s a café-restaurant which serves drinks, snacks and full meals. 

And, if you really do enjoy architecture you’ll be pleased to know that the Mies van der Rohe pavilion is just across the road, and Poble Espanyol just a few hundred metres away.

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La CaixaForum | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Festivals & events, Restaurants (Catalan-Spanish)
Avenida de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, 6-8 | Montjuich | +34934768600
Mon & Wed & Fri 10:00 – 20:00, Tue & Thu 10:00 – 22:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 21:00

An exhibition space I visit regularly – sometimes re-visiting the same exhibition three or four times – is situated in La Pedrera – the famous apartment building designed by Gaudí.

They have an excellent exhibition programme with related talks, debates and activities.

Well worth a visit.

Though a tour of the building, and spectacular rooftop, will cost you 11 euros entrance to the exhibition space is FREE.

The exhibition programme promotes a good balance of solo retrospectives and shows about movements or moments in art history. The shows, always accompanied with well-written notes, help you re-appraise or re-contextualize work by artists often overlooked because they didn’t quite fit with the prevailing mood or movement of the time. I’ve learned a lot about art from attending exhibitions here.

The staff here are friendly and helpful, and will look after your bags and coats at no charge. And, just so you know, the exhibition space has a public toilet, handy if you’re on the Paseo de Gràcia, as most of the cafés now only allow customers to use their facilities.

If you can understand Spanish it’s worth doing one of the free guided tours of the current exhibition on Fridays at 18:00.

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La Pedrera | Art & culture
Passeig de Gràcia 92 | Eixample | +34902400973
10:00 – 20:00 daily

This welcoming bar-restaurant, one of three of a small chain, with its bohemian vibe and quirky art and decor, has become one of my favorite places for meeting up with a friend for a drink, a bite and a good old chinwag. There’s no TV blaring away in the corner, no slot machines and no crap music. But there is good, reasonably priced food and drink and friendly service.

The owner is an artist-photographer and the collection of artwork is worth a closer look. The rooms at the back are cosy and intimate, ideal for project meetings or just gossip.

Try one of their sartens (small frying-pans) of provolone cheese, served with breadsticks, or chorizo or morcilla (black pudding) with scrambled egg or ciervo (venison)- delicious. The menu is refreshingly different – and the wines are very good value too.

And, as a bonus, they serve probably the best gin and tonics in the city. Honest. Even if you don’t try one – just watching the bar staff prepare them is fun.

And, if you’re interested in architecture then another bonus is that Salvador Valeri i Pupurell’s magnificent Casa Comalat is just a hundred meters away, on the opposite side of the street.

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Úbeda | Art & culture, Bars, Snacks, Restaurants (Spanish) | Sarten € 5.00
Còrsega 339 | Eixample | +34934152537
Mon – Thu 07:30 – 00:30, Fri – Sat 09:30 – 13:00 & 20:00 – 02:00

This is a really good year-round spot to chill out.

Given its location at the junction of Passeig de Gracìa and Diagonal it’s surprisingly quiet and peaceful. 

In the cooler months it’s a good place to check out an exhibition.

Right now there’s an EXCELLENT exhibition about the world famous restaurant, El Bulli and its celebrated chef, Ferran Adrià. You must NOT miss this.

During the summer the garden is a great place to cool off, maybe have a packed lunch, pretend to read a book, or just hang for a while. In the evening the garden and pavilion may come alive with music, discussion and debate.

The exhibitions here, about aspects of life as is lived, or was lived, in Catalunya, are always interesting, and have included: the aborted People’s Olympics in 1936 (set up to counter the official Nazi Olympics); and a series of beautiful aerial photographs showing the rich diversity of the regional landscape. The most recent photo exhibition in the garden celebrated the castellers (human castle builders) of Catalunya.

The Information Centre here is very good with very knowledgeable and helpful staff who manage a comprehensive range of materials in all the main European languages. If you’re planning a trip out of the city, go along and get advice and information on walking routes, themed trails, museums, hostels and refugios, and local food and drink. A visit here will save you time lining up at the main, and very busy, tourist information centre in Plaza Catalunya.

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Palau Robert | Art & culture, Relaxing | Free
Passeig de Gràcia, 107 | Eixample | +34932388091
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 19:00, Sun 10:00 – 14:30

I’ve been visiting this place since 1987 and I still can’t decide whether I love it or hate it. Why would I hate it? Well, with its regimented rows of glass cases, broken pots and coins, and very little interpretation – it reminds me of compulsory school museum visits.

And why do I love it? It has a fascinating, very extensive, collection of everyday bits and pieces and paper ephemera from the late 19th century – early 20th century.

Frederic Marès was a sculptor and an eccentric, avid collector of things – crucifixes, walking-sticks, fans, dolls, toy theatres, pipes, cigar-bands, cigarette papers, printers’ handbills, business cards, tram tickets, it goes on and on and on.

As you wander through the galleries you’ll build a fairly strong picture of the leisure preoccupations of the moneyed classes of early 20th century Barcelona.

Through the museum’s omission of any mention of working-class existence you’ll begin to understand the simmering resentments which fuelled the class struggle that climaxed with the Spanish Civil War.

I feature this spot as a location in my novel, After Goya.

Another good reason to visit this curious museum is the courtyard and café – a lovely spot to chill out with an iced-coffee and a good book.

On a budget? Go there on Wednesday after 14:00, or after 15:00 on Sunday, when it’s FREE admission, though one of the galleries will likely be closed.

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Frederic Marès museum | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Relaxing | Admission € 4.20
Plaça Sant Iu 5-6 | El Barrio Gotico | +34932563500
Tue – Sat 10:00 – 19:00, Sun 10:00 – 20:00

If you don’t feel like hitting the city but want to watch a DVD in your rental apartment, this is where all your dreams come true. Ciclic is an apparently small video club store in the best tradition: maybe you don’t want to have them all at home, but it’s nice to know where to find the series, documentary or funny movie that you where longing to see.

Yes, it’s “arty” and cinema lovers will be very fond of the collection organized by author, but they also have a great commercial cinema area and a big space devoted to children’s movies.

Recent addition to the catalogue are for 24 hours rent only. Other movies, documentaries and tv series are for a 48 hour period. And they have a flat rate: you pay 30 euros and can always have one movie at home.

I have many reasons to go there and one in particular: the people working at Ciclic love movies and like their job, thus are have to give you a good opinion on most of the movies displayed. Usually, they have great music playing, they sell ice cream and movie posters.

And their system warns you when you are renting a movie for the second time – great device for people who forget – like me. They also have a great art store just two doors ahead, with books and magazines.

The store is only open in the afternoons, but you can deposit your movies in a mailbox at anytime of the day.

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Ciclic video club | Art & culture, Cinemas | Blockbusters from € 4
Rec Comtal, 7 | El Borne | +34935013383
16:00 – 23:00 daily

I wouldn’t dare say that I’m one of those girls that know how to use a map or a compass. I mostly trust in some kind of “dove-like” instinct that gets me to where I want to go. However, when I arrived in Barcelona, I learned a beautiful way that the locals have of stating EXACTLY where you are, so any one can find you, on the basis of the four natural limits to the city.

It will work in any place of the city, but honestly is better if you go to the Eixample – Gran Vía de las Cortes Catalanes and up. The first two limits are the mountains (Tibidabo, for example) and the sea (Barceloneta and such). There is a slight slope in the city that is easy to sense when you look at the people riding bikes. The end of the slope is the sea. The other part of the city, the upper part, is the mountain.

The second two limits are the river Llobregat (near El Prat airport) and the river Besòs (close to the Forum). If you stand looking towards the sea, the Llobregat will be at your right and the Besòs to your left. Knowing this, you can explain anyone where exactly are you. For example, Casa Milá (Gaudí’s Pedrera) is located in the crossing of Passeig de Gracia and Provença, in the corner Mountain-Besòs.

It might seem like a piece of funny information, but quite important when you’re trying to meet someone or finding something!

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Find yourself in Barcelona | Art & culture
Passeig de Gracia 92 | Eixample
24 hours daily