From 21 November to 21 December 2024, the Drap-Art Festival of Sustainable Art returns to Barcelona for its 28th edition, transforming the city’s Gothic Quarter into a vibrant cultural circuit of exhibitions, performances, and workshops. With over 100 works by 60 artists, this month-long event highlights the power of creativity to inspire change by reclaiming discarded objects and giving them a second life.
In a world marked by socio-political and environmental challenges, Drap-Art’24 invites artists and audiences alike to explore activism through art. This year’s theme calls for a return to humanist values as a pathway to sustainability, uniting local and global perspectives on art’s transformative potential.
Drap-Art’24 takes visitors on a journey through the Gothic Quarter’s iconic galleries and public spaces. Indoor exhibitions, under the banner Drap-Art Indoors, feature striking works at venues such as Base Elements Urban Art Gallery, Sala Perill, Espai del Borsí, and the Drap-Art Gallery. Participating artists, from the Balearic Islands to Europe and beyond, showcase diverse approaches to urban, contemporary, and sustainable art.
Notable pieces include Masa de elecciones by Colombian artist Andrea Verbel Vanegas, known as “Garbage Guerrillera.” This performative piece features a 20kg dress crafted from plastic, cardboard, and electronic waste. Similarly, London-born artist Errol Sari, now based in Barcelona, reimagines found materials, such as beach-collected cans and plastic caps, into poetic artworks from his studio in Poble-Sec.
Complementing the indoor exhibitions, Drap-Art Outdoors animates Barcelona’s public spaces with open-air interventions. Highlights include the Artistic Recycling and Sustainable Consumption Market in Plaza Real, held every Saturday during the festival, and a series of inaugural concerts at Plaza del Rey on 23 November.
Drap-Art’24 culminates on 21 December with Rebirth Day, a celebration of peace and sustainability led by environmental art pioneer Michelangelo Pistoletto and his Third Paradise project. The day’s events include a dynamic “Demonstration-Procession-Parade for Universal Peace and Human Empowerment,” featuring renowned artists such as Eddy Ekete, Madje Vollaers, and Marcel·lí Antúnez Roca.
Festival director Tanja Grass emphasises the urgency of Drap-Art’s mission: “As we approach our 30th anniversary, we reflect on the evolution of activism in art and sustainability. There is no sustainability without peace. A return to humanist values is essential to achieving true global change.”
By bridging art, activism, and community engagement, Drap-Art’24 offers a deeply immersive experience, fostering connections between artists, art lovers, and local residents. For one month, the Gothic Quarter becomes a meeting place for intercultural dialogue and sustainable transformation, reinforcing Barcelona’s role as a hub for progressive artistic expression.
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