Barcelona El Raval

El Raval, home to the MACBA and the University of Barcelona, has “artsy” tattooed on its forehead. The streets below the University (in the direction of Liceu) tend towards a younger crowd; above the University (around Universitat and particularly on C. Consell de Cent) you’ll find art galleries galore that host up-and-coming artists hoping to someday make it to MACBA’s walls.

Museu D’Art Contemporani (Macba). The gleaming white MACBA building, designed by American architect Richard Meier in 1995, was the final product of a collaboration between Barcelona’s mayor and the Catalan government to restore El Raval by turning the neighborhood into a regional artistic and cultural center (14 years later: mission accomplished). The museum’s modernity and scale, as well as sheer brightness, are a startling contrast with the narrow alleys and aging cobblestone streets of the surrounding neighborhood. The building’s sparse decor was designed to allow the art to speak for itself, which it has—the MACBA has received worldwide acclaim for its focus on interwar avant-garde art. While the permanent collection provides a general overview of Western contemporary art, it is particularly successful in introducing the public to the works of some acclaimed artists from Barcelona. The main attractions are the highly innovative rotating exhibits and the “Nits de MACBA” (Th and F nights in the summer), when the museum stays open until midnight and the reduced price of admission (€3.50) includes a guided tour. Every year during Sonar (Barcelona’s über-popular festival celebrating electronic and experimental music), the museum opens its exhibitions to festival-goers and hosts the Sonarcomplex stage, as well as other Sonar-related activities. To give a feel for what this means, on one Friday of the 2009 festival, there were live concerts at 1, 4:30, 7:30, and 9pm (as well as, of course, several “at night,” or after 9pm). During Sonar, entry into the museum is limited exclusively to festival-goers, and the Museum’s hours are the same as the Sonar’s. (Pl. Des Àngels, 1. Catalunya ☎934 12 08 10; www.macba.es. Open M and W-F 11am-8pm, Sa 10am-8pm, Su 10am-3pm. Tours in Catalan and English M and Th 6pm; Catalan and Spanish W and F 6pm, Su noon and 6pm. €7.50, students €6, under 14 free; temporary exhibitions €4. From mid-May to Sept. restaurant and bar service on 1st-fl. terrace. Restaurant and bar phone ☎672 20 73 89.)

Centre De Cultura Contemporania De Barcelona (Cccb). The center’s striking architecture incorporates an early 20th-century theater with its 1994 addition, a sleek wing of black glass. CCCB hosts expositions, symposia, and courses having to do with its major themes (simple matters like the human condition, cosmopolitanism, public space, and creativity). It now has a cafe, gallery space, screening room, and bookstore. Along with MACBA, it is also a main daytime venue for the Sonar music festival. Check the center’s exhaustive website or the Guía del Ocio for scheduled events. (Casa de Caritat. C. Montalegre, 5. Catalunya or Universitat. ☎933 06 41 00; www.cccb.org. Open Tu-W and F-Su 11am-8pm, Th 11am-10pm. Expositions €4.70, students €3.60, under 16 free. 2 expositions for €6. 1st W of the month, Th 8-10pm and Su 3-8pm free.)

Though you’ll find galleries throughout The Raval and L’Eixample, many are similar and not all will interest you. Rather than take our word for it, browse along the streets near Consell de Cent (Pg. de Gràcia), or ask the tourist office for a list of galleries.

Galeria Senda. This multi-level gallery has a long history of modern art and multimedia exhibitions. (Consell de Cent, 337. Pg. de Gràcia. ☎934 87 67 59; www.galeriasenda.com. Open M-Sa 10am-2pm and 4:30-8:30pm. AmEx/MC/V.)

Galeria Llucia Homs. This long, thin gallery works with young contemporary artists of varying nationalities and media. Exhibitions in 2009 spanned modern sculpture, photography, graphic design, and more. (Consell de Cent 315. Pg. de Gràcia. ☎934 67 71 62; www.galerialluciahoms.es. Open M-F 10am-2pm and 4:30-8:30pm, Sa 11am-2pm and 5:30-8:30pm. AmEx/MC/V.)