From the 17th to the 20th this coming April, the 4th edition of the Mostra Festival will take place at the Fabra i Coats and Vall D’hebron Olympic Pavilion in Barcellona. As we noted in the last edition, Mostra stands as counterpart to the standardisation of the cultural proposal landscape. Last year the Palpebræ team had the chance to jump to Castel Montjuc – the festival’s previous location, to witness firsthand the avantgardism and exceptional curation that make Mostra one of the most promising independent small-scale festivals in Europe.
Mostra focus is on experiencing electronic music, instead of temporarily consuming it. This ethos is reflected in the curation of the sounds proposed in the line-up, the thoughtful running order of local and international artists, the strong commitment to gender-balance, and a year-round program of workshops, talks and collaborations with collectives both in Barcellona and abroad. It emphasises quality and care rather than quantity and trends.
This year’s lineup features 35 artists, including timeless electronic music masters such as Cio D’Or, Peter Van Hoesen, Reeko, and Function, alongside captivating live acts from artists like Robert Henke, Dasha Rush, Katatonic Silentio, Carmen Villain and Timnah & Mario (check out the full lineup at mostra.barcelona). The running order is a deliberate statement reflecting the vision and mission of the festival. Local and women DJs perform at peak times, allowing underrepresented artists to fully express their creativity and shifting the traditional festival headliner dynamic. Diversity, rappresentation and inclusion are not marketing buzzwords, but core values implemented through music practices aimed at reshaping the industry logic. Chapeau.
Mostra, as a festival, strives to be atemporal and community-driven. Their ExtraMostra events in collaboration with collectives and clubs in cities such as Berlin, Madrid, Granada, Porto, Berguedà and London, extend the festival’s ethos beyond its core dates. Just last week, Palpebrae attended their event in collaboration with the London collective Introspective Electronics [pictures below].
ph: Federica Guadagnolo
The event showcased an adventurous curation of six hours of pure ambient sounds with the Spanish and London-based artists Alicia (UK), Faery (UK), Javi (ES) and Josephine Soundscapes (ES). Again, the intentional inclusion of Spanish experimental artists in the London showcase underscored Mostra’s strong ties to its local artistic community. The event clearly stated Mostra’s curators’ ability to carve out a niche within the electronic music scene, collaborating with collectives and communities that resonate with their mission far beyond Barcelona. It further reinforced Mostra’s commitment to creating spaces where music is experienced in its integrity, shifting away from the conventional idea of electronic music intended as something merely dancefloor-oriented.
From techno to ambient, experimentation and avant-gardism are at the core of the festival experience. You step on the dancefloor in the morning to dance, you leave in the evening having learnt something more, something new – showcasing the added value of Mostra to the scene.
See you there!
