'Underground' art aims to foster debate on migration and racism

A subway station is not the first place most people would go in order to admire some art, but since Monday people can do just that in many of Barcelona's metro stops.

Works by a dozen artists have been put on display in the Catalan capital's underground system, in an initiative by the city council aimed at fostering debate on such issues as migration and racism.

The project curated by art professor Imma Prieto is called 'Umbral' (Threshold) and it aims to help root out "the discourse of hate" as part of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

'Umbral' also forms part of the Cities for Rights project, the Barcelona World Conference on Human Rights being held in the city's center of contemporary culture (CCCB).

Countering the "rise of hate speech"

During the project's inauguration in the Diagonal metro stop (where there are two installations on display), mayor Ada Colau regretted "the rise of hate speech" in Spain and Europe, and said the exhibition aims to foster debate on such issues.

The artworks on display can be found in key metro stations, such as Urquinaona, Passeig de Gràcia, Sants-Estació, Arc de Triomf, Mundet, Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica and Drassanes, among others.

Aiming to “broaden” the debate on the infringement of human rights in the areas of migration and racism, the artists taking part are: Yto Barradai Lelia Alaoui, Banu Cenetoglu and La Llista Oblidada, Ramon Esono, Daniel García Andújar, Eulàlia Grau, Rogelio López Cuenca and Elo Vega, Teresa Margolles, Dan Persjovschi, Estefanía Peñafiel and Hiwa K.

The project also includes three works from organizations, such as ‘Frontera Sur’ (Southern Border), which can be seen in the Guinardó-Hospital de Sant Pau metro stop, and which includes a joint project by Fotomovimiento, Novact, and the Irídia human rights NGO.

Large format artistic posters

In general terms, the artists have produced large-format works on vinyl, in the form of artistic posters that can be easily displayed on hoardings and walls, as with advertising, in stations and corridors.

For Prieto, the initiative's two main values are, on the one hand, showing the importance of "artistic action" to defend freedoms and equality and, on the other, the opportunity to foster debate on these issues in a public space.