FineArt photography festival kicks off in Igualada

The seventh edition of the FineArt photography fair kicked off on Friday in the city of Igualada, hoping this year to match the 40,000 visitors it attracted in 2018.

The festival will feature a total of 54 exhibitions -the largest number it has ever put on- in 23 different venues in the city, including for the first time a church.

The photographers featured come from all over the world, including Panama, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, the US, Poland, as well as Galicia, Andalusia, Aragon and Catalonia.

Some of the big international names include the US' Jim Doukas, Mexican Carlos Ponce, Argentinian Guillermo de Angelís, Panamanian Johams Leguisamo, Chile's Kati Riquelme and Hanna Jarzabek from Poland.

From Spain, the fair will feature the work of Enric Mestres, Mireia Alises, Paula Costantino, Pep Gol, Miguel David, Margarita Fresco, Luis Vázquez Álvarez, the duo of Jordi Guillumet and Mònica Roselló, and Gabi Guiard.

Growth and quality

According to FineArt's director, Ramon Muntané, the festival has continued to grow but without losing "quality," and he pointed to the presence of Ferran Freixa "who for years we've been asking to come."

The Barcelona photographer will have the largest exhibition, in the Museu de la Pell, which will display some 135 images, including the photographs he took of the Liceu opera house in flames.

This edition of FineArt will also feature the largest exhibition it has ever put on, with four-meter high images by local photographer, and now resident of New York, Marta Guitart.

This year also sees a new venue, with Les Josefines hosting an exhibit, "the first time we have put on an exhibition in a church," according to Muntané, who said the choice of venue was to help highlight the city's heritage.

Another first for the FineArt festival is the inclusion of an exhibition by a blind artist, Carme Ollé, due its collaboration with the ONCE foundation for the blind.