The founder of the Casa Estudio Granados Gallery answers a few questions from the Kooness Team.
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Pau Escat, the founder of Casa Estudios Granados answers a few questions about this unconventional space he opened in Barcelona.
Kooness: Casa Estudio Granados is not a conventional project. You define it as something more than a gallery, but in what sense do you think it makes a difference?
Pau Escat: Casa Estudio Granados is a singular project for several reasons. Our space in Barcelona, which defines us, is where it all started. Now we think about it more as a contemporary art space that hosts shows from our artists but also has room for artistic experimentation. It is at the same time a workshop or lab for our artists and a showroom.
The space is in the heart of Barcelona, so it has the typical Modernist flat style that gives it a strong character. As it is not on the street level, the visitor has a unique showroom experience, far from the one you get in a more commercial gallery. We attend only by appointment, to make sure the clients get the special attention they deserve.
Nevertheless, we also opt for flexibility regarding the spaces where we show the pieces. It is more interesting to set the exhibitions in different places, according to what is more coherent for the message we want to transmit. We work a lot on the concept behind the group exhibitions. The last one, "Something about us", speaks about us as a group of artists and about us as a society, criticizing the materialism and individuality we experience on a global scale.
K: Are the artists of Casa Estudio Granados interested in themes such as the critique of social reality?
PE: Yes, in general, many do, although with different styles. For example, Giordan Rubio, Ed Warner, and Demo ironically revisit the icons of popular culture. Gastón Lisak manipulates quotidian objects to make them appear strange, and Sergio Romero creates an honest face-to-face with the viewer. Others like Arnau Casas and Ade Quercianera disfigure the human body to study its limits and contradictions. Iñaki Moreno and Xavi Ceerre do the same, even reaching abstraction.
K: And how are you planning to grow more in the future?
PE: We have been growing fast at Casa Estudio, and we expect to do more to ensure even more presence in the sector. Collectors from all over the world have already worked with us, so we will continue to focus on the global marketplace. We aim to offer an easy process to the collectors who show interest or seek advice to make a decision.
Casa Estudio Granados is built on good content and interesting artistic lines and discourses. I believe that content is a key component of a good strategy, as every artistic space needs to create engagement through high-quality images, texts, and concepts. Everyone knows that it takes extra time, but we are willing to spend it because it is the key to a better service.
Cover Image: Jonathan Torres. F*cking Paradise, 2013. Courtesy of Park Place
Written by: Park Place
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