Located near the end of Rambla de Santa Mònica, Arts Santa Mònica is a creativity center installed on the former Santa Mònica Monastery.
This eighteenth-century building used to house the order of the Augustinos Descalzos (Barefoot Augustines) was declared a historical-artistic national monument in 1984. Four years later, the building started being used as an exhibition room, which had its official opening on May 17th 1988 with the “El surrealismo en Cataluña, 1924-1936” exhibit.
Since then, the center has received more than 150 exhibits and hundreds of conferences. The building went through several restoration processes, changing its name and focus many times during the years. Between 1988 and 1995 it was known as Centre d’Art Santa Mònica. In 2003 it became known as CASM, which was replaced by Arts Santa Monica, Centre de la Creatividad in 2009.
The center’s main goal is to study, interpret, produce and exhibit contemporary art, with great focus on works by Catalan artists.
During the summer visitors can see the exhibit Unseen, a collection of photos by actress Jessica Lange; This is the cover of a book (installation); Inventar lo possible. Una videoteca efémera en el marco del festival loop (colective exhibit), Núria Güell. Mesures de Desajust. Cicle trets enemig del concert (exhibit), RCR Arquitectes: Paper and X-Ville de Jordi Colomer (exhibit).
The center is also responsible for a series of projects such as Arxiu_Dossiers, a project that gathers dossiers about various generations of artists living and/or working in Catalonia, creating the opportunity to make Catalan art available to more people.
Free entry
Arts Santa Mònica, which offers free entry, is open from Tuesdays to Saturdays between 11 am and 9 pm, staying open only until 5 pm on Sundays and holidays.
The center offers guided tours every Saturday at 6 pm and Sundays at 12 am. If you are interested in a guided tour, book your place in advance.
To get to Arts Santa Mònica by public transportation you can take the green line (L3) of the subway, stopping at Drassanes, or take one of the following buses: 14, 20, 21, 36, 57, 59, 64.
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