Forty Gòtic shops have turned their windows into art installations for the fourth edition of Aparadors Artístics, running until 31 October. The festival transforms the old city centre into a free outdoor art gallery, with both emerging and established artists redesigning shop displays across the neighbourhood. Launched on Friday afternoon, the exhibition features creators from visual arts, performing arts, film and literature who’ve dressed up the shop fronts.
Barcelona council says the festival aims to boost both the city’s economic and social recovery whilst highlighting shop windows as spaces for dialogue with residents. The display, positioned as a free street museum, comes with three special “city actions” added to the mix.
First up is a conference called “El cor de la ciutat” (The heart of the city) on 9 October. Meanwhile, 16 October brings the performance “Els vianants que dansen” (The pedestrians who dance), followed by artist Daniel G. Andújar’s “El museu del barri” (The neighbourhood museum) on 23 October. This last piece will see reproductions of iconic art history works paraded through Gòtic’s streets.
Aparadors Artístics first launched in 2022, during the recovery period after strict Covid lockdowns hammered local businesses. The Barnacentre federation of shop associations and cultural platform Hänsel i Gretel run the project, which gets funding from Barcelona’s tourist tax.
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