Opened in September 2016 Bien Cuadrado is a creative space in the centre of Barcelona directed by Aidan McGovern and Richard Ashcroft. Since opening the space has developed into one of Barcelona most exciting and innovative gallery spaces. Far more than just a gallery, BienCaudrado has grown into a meeting point for artists through exhibitions and events, and by offering studio spaces for established as well as up and coming artists.

BienCuadrado offers bespoke picture framing as Aidan is a Fine Art Guild (UK and Ireland) trained picture framer. By keeping our gallery, framing workshop and studio spaces under one roof we have created a unique atmosphere in the heart of a constantly changing city.

What we do and have done

Over our first year Bien Cuadrado has grown organically into a space that allows visitors to engage with artists and artisanal crafts by maintaining an open-door policy from front to back. While exhibits are held at the front of house the work spaces at the back are frequented by visitors to the framing workshop. At the same time, our studio spaces are frequently visited and most artists are happy to talk, show and explain their processes. We are pleased to say this has not always been done by design but has happened through the collaborative spirit of those who we share the space with. We have been lucky enough to find a core of artists who have worked with us since almost day one and have helped make the space their own.

Our Philosophy

Challenged by the commercialisation of art and the pressures caused by rampant property speculation we continue to be able to offer studio spaces to artists at affordable rates. Our artistic preferences in curating our gallery similarly follow these lines as we refuse to conform to commercial sensibilities or stylistic principles. This allows us to constantly change and adapt our exhibitions to ensure we do not get typecast as ‘that type of gallery’. As a general rule, we try to ensure that each exhibition varies significantly in style from what preceded it – this principle has allowed us to exhibit figurative and abstract artists, alongside Audio Visual installations, experimentation, graffiti and muralists. It is our hope to continue in this vein, offering a platform for artists to explore freely their chosen fields of expression. We are proud of the fact that many of our shows are inaugural exhibitions for the artists concerned and believe our pro-active, unafraid approach to new artists helps re-inforce the dynamic edge of BienCuadrado.

Who We Are

Aidan McGovern’s love of the arts developed through an unlikely BA degree in Geography and Politics with a particular focus on the Spaces and Places of Modernity – namely the modern exhibition spaces and the ways of seeing through spaces. Not being a fan of artspeak, Aidan feels that art should be made more accessible through language rather than less. Further to this he developed a keen interest in semantics and semiology whilst studying a MA in Sociology in Goldsmith, University of London. Aidan has continued working in academia as an editor and researcher in the University of Barcelona and still contributes work there on a freelance basis. Discovering the love of working with his hands Aidan’s burgeoning interest in the arts, developed throughout University life, somehow lead him to undertake Fine Arts Guild (UK and Ireland) training as a Frame Maker. He has previously worked in Barcelona as a frame maker at ALTI 2001 until they closed. Since then Aidan has worked with Richard Ashcroft to transform the space into the mixed-use premise that we are proud to call Bien Cuadrado.