Can Framis Museum

The Can Framis Museum in Barcelona is a center for contemporary Catalan painting that opened in April 2009 in the 22@ district. It houses a collection of nearly 700 works, of which more than 250 paintings dating from the 1960s onward are on display. They come from more than 100 artists who were born in Catalonia or live there, and they span stylistic movements from abstraction and Informalism to Hyperrealism. The permanent exhibition is regularly reconceived to present the Fundació Vila Casas's annual acquisitions in a current thematic context. The offering is rounded out by the Espai Aø area, where new temporary exhibitions open every three months. These include works from other private collections, the results of an annual open competition for painters, photographers, and sculptors, and solo shows by established artists from the foundation's holdings.

The museum is housed in a former 18th-century textile factory complex that originally belonged to the Framis family. The renovation by architect Jordi Badia involved restoring two existing factory buildings and joining them with a new building, erected on the site of a former warehouse, which forms a courtyard. The sculpture Dell'Arte by Jaume Plensa stands in this courtyard. The architectural design combines lime mortar, which blends into the existing stone wall, with the exposed concrete of the new structures, so the facade appears as a collage of different textures and layers. The building sits about 1.5 meters below today's street level because it is based on older agricultural plans that predate the Cerdà Plan of 1860. The surrounding street space is covered with ivy and other plants, while the museum is surrounded by white poplars and oaks. Inside, the exhibition rooms are spread across three floors, which are accessible by elevator.

In addition to self-guided viewing of the collection, the museum offers guided tours in which experts explain the works and invite you to look more deeply. There are special programs for families and adults, as well as free guided visits on weekends. An extensive educational program serves everyone from preschoolers to high school students, as well as people with special educational needs. These activities combine museum visits with hands-on workshops to supplement school education in contemporary art and to explore the emotional aspects of artistic expression. Admission is possible Tuesday through Saturday and on Sunday mornings.