Espais Volart

Espais Volart is a contemporary art exhibition space in Barcelona, Spain, operated by the Fundació Vila Casas. Located in the Eixample district, it was the first art space opened by the foundation in Barcelona in 2002 and is dedicated to the promotion of contemporary Catalan painting through temporary exhibitions. The venue occupies two historic Modernist buildings designated as local cultural heritage sites, serving as a key platform for showcasing artists represented in the Fundació Vila Casas collection.

The Fundació Vila Casas was established in 1986 by pharmaceutical entrepreneur Antoni Vila Casas as a private, non-profit organization with the principal aim of promoting contemporary Catalan art. Espai Volart opened in 2002 as the foundation's inaugural public art space in Barcelona, predating later additions such as Espai Volart 2 (2008). The space was created in the former storerooms of a building that had served at the end of the 19th century as the business premises of Volart de puntes i teixits, a textile and lacework firm whose storage facilities held cloth and lace typical of the Catalan textile industry of that era. Since its opening, Espai Volart has hosted annual programming including the Patrim exhibitions each July, featuring work by students completing Fine Arts degrees at the University of Barcelona, as well as exhibitions and award ceremonies for the Ynglada-Guillot drawing prize.

Espai Volart functions as a temporary exhibition space for artists featured in the Fundació Vila Casas collection. Unlike Espai Volart 2, which presents work by well-known figures from the broader Catalan art world, Espai Volart concentrates exclusively on artists whose work is held in the foundation's collection. The exhibitions rotate regularly, with the foundation's broader network including dedicated museums for painting (Can Framis), sculpture (Can Mario), and photography (Palau Solterra). The Fundació Vila Casas advances its mission through exhibitions, conferences, donations, prizes, and the provision of museum and gallery spaces for contemporary Catalan artists, defined as those born or working in Catalonia.

As a temporary exhibition venue rather than a permanent collection display, Espais Volart does not hold fixed notable works in situ. Instead, it presents rotating exhibitions drawn from the Fundació Vila Casas collection, which encompasses contemporary painting, sculpture, and photography by Catalan artists. The foundation's collection includes more than 250 paintings from the 1960s to the present at Can Framis alone, with works by artists born or residing in Catalonia. The annual Patrim exhibition and Ynglada-Guillot drawing prize exhibition represent consistent highlights of the Espai Volart programming calendar, showcasing emerging artists alongside established figures from the collection.

Espais Volart is distributed across two historic Modernist buildings in Barcelona's Eixample district, both designated as sites of local cultural heritage by the Barcelona city council. The original Espai Volart occupies the former storerooms of Casa Antonia Puget at Ausiàs Marc 22, constructed in 1904 by architects Roc Cot i Cot and Ramon Viñolas. Espai Volart 2, opened in 2008, is housed in the old storerooms of Casa Felip at Ausiàs Marc 20, built in 1901 by architect Telm Fernández. The original building's history as a textile storage facility for Volart de puntes i teixits connects the site to Barcelona's industrial heritage, while its Modernist architecture exemplifies the Catalan architectural heritage that the Fundació Vila Casas has made central to its institutional identity across all five of its exhibition centers.

Espais Volart is located on Carrer Ausiàs Marc in Barcelona's Eixample district, approximately 400 meters from the Arc de Triomf. The venue is owned and operated by the Fundació Vila Casas, a private non-profit organization. As part of the foundation's network of five exhibition centers, Espais Volart serves as one of two Barcelona-based art spaces for temporary exhibitions, complementing the foundation's three dedicated museums in Barcelona, Palafrugell, and Torroella de Montgrí. The foundation's headquarters, located on the first floor of Casa Felip at Ausiàs Marc 20, are not open to the public except through the purchase of the foundation's catalogue. Information about current exhibitions and access is available through the Fundació Vila Casas website.