GENERAL

Swab presents a new General Program in response to the current dynamics of contemporary art. What were previously differentiated spaces at the fair — General, Emerging, Seed — is now articulated into a single integrated program. This reconfiguration responds to a broader change: the boundaries between galleries and independent initiatives are increasingly blurred, and practices that were once considered peripheral are now taking a central place.

Artist-run spaces, emerging galleries, and experimental initiatives continue to operate on the margins of the market, but they are setting the pace of discourse, taking risks, and proposing new models of sustainability.

In this new format, all participants will share a common space, with booths adaptable to different formats and needs, reflecting the art market we want to help build: a more plural market, where different scales and modes of operation coexist, and where the most independent initiatives maintain direct dialogue with the commercial circuit.

Malpais

Malpaís (Barcelona)

**Malpaís** *(mal.pəˈis)* **1. n. Geol.** A field of recent lava, characterised by a rugged, barren and arid surface. Also, the lava itself that forms it. **2. n.** A territory in *Brave New World* by Aldous Huxley. Huxley's Malpaís is a reservation inhabited by a community living outside the hyper-technological dystopia. **3. n.** An independent exhibition and artistic production space, founded by artists in 2020 and located between the Marina del Port neighbourhood and the Port of Barcelona. The project's main axis is an annual public programme comprising exhibitions, events and workshops. Its curatorial line promotes and supports emerging artists while fostering connections between the Spanish and international cultural contexts.

Artist: Slim Safont

See catalogue here