LGBT
EL PALOMAR By Ferenz Jacobs
The rainbow alphabet keeps expanding. The most inclusive acronym now is LGBTQIAAP: lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, allies and pansexual. But let’s put aside this alphabet soup for the moment and focus on the letter “Q”, representing those who identify as queer or are questioning their heterosexual identity. Although Barcelona has a gayborhood (mainly pursuing pink money) and an LGBT monument (indeed, in Parc de la Ciutadella), the gay capital of the Mediterranean is noticeably lacking in queerness. One of the few spaces in Barcelona with a clear queer agenda is El Palomar. The project, conceived by contemporary artists MarioKissme and R. Marcos Mota, sits in an attic on the fifth floor of a Modernista building (there’s no elevator, mind you). El Palomar (Spanish for “pigeon loft”) is not your typical art gallery with a fixed program, regular opening hours and art sales, although they do host exhibitions. On such occasions you will find pieces that you will not see in the MACBA, Arts Santa Mònica or CaixaForum – works that question the city’s overarching heteronormativity. El Palomar is also a meeting point that hosts performances, screenings, workshops and other encounters, all organized with a desire to reflect on questions of gender and queerness. 52
Recently, El Palomar launched Put One’s Foot In It, a series of events featuring queer artists, curators and other cultural agents that has included Evan J. Garza, curator of Austin’s Blanton Museum, Colombian performance artist Nadia Granados, and Tara Transitory aka One Man Nation, a nomadic trans musician. A quick visit by such artists who happen to be in town goes a long way torward invigorating Barcelona’s queer culture. So check out the website of the city’s queer attic for upcoming events to unstraighten your view on life. EL PALOMAR. C/ Elkano 43 bis, ático (Poble Sec) vuelanpalomas@gmail.com (open by appointment) el-palomar.tumblr.com