Fire Escape Contemporary Art is an art project that collaborates with independent and emerging artists in unexpected ways and unique locations. As a dynamic, virtual exhibition space, Fire Escape represents artists across diverse disciplines, offering opportunities for both virtual and on-site exhibitions and art projects.
Beyond traditional gallery spaces, Fire Escape extends into the public realm, presenting public art projects and one-of-a-kind performance-based works that engage and inspire audiences. The initiative is dedicated to showcasing exhibitions, public interventions, and performances that challenge perspectives, spark excitement, and foster meaningful conversations.
Directed by Spanish-born, Melbourne-based independent artist and curator Anna García Solana, Fire Escape is committed to pushing artistic boundaries and creating impactful cultural experiences.
Fire Escape Contemporary Art launched in 2012 in Barcelona. The original space provided an art gallery, creative co-working spaces, art-making studio and stockroom. Fire Escape revitalised the local neighborhood, providing a point for creative thinkers, makers and supporters to gather and discuss art and its ideas and influences. Focus on democratise the art scene in Barcelona, breaking barriers between artists and audiences. Facilitating access to art and culture to diverse public through exhibitions, actions, talks, workshops, markets, art fairs, art festivals, and more.
Since the beginning, it has been defined as a cultural lab where critique and thought prevailed and in 2016 the base was moved to Fabra i Coats Art Factory in Barcelona, where establishing a mixed-used program of facilities and open spaces that hosted cultural events, presented projects that investigated culture. Providing opportunities for experimentation and cross-fertilisation between different disciplines. In 2019, moved to Melbourne, Australia, to explore new opportunities and innovative approaches to developing creative projects.
Fire Escape is actively developing a diverse range of art projects to connect artists across the globe. With a strong digital presence, Fire Escape curates exhibitions, crafts unique pop-up projects, and fosters meaningful discussions about art. Conversations with artists, critics, and curators are designed to sharpen critical thinking and encourage deep reflection. Exploring art as a means to cultivate critical thinking and enhance emotional intelligence.
VISION. Fire Escape Contemporary Art’s vision is to build an international art community and present exciting and engaging online and onsite art projects in different locations and unexpected venues.
MISSION. Promoting art experiences connecting the arts community. Working globally generating synergies and networking professionalising the art industry.
DIRECTED by
Fire Escape is led by Anna García Solana, an independent artist and art curator. She holds a Master’s Degree in Creative Industries (Melbourne, 2022) and a Double Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts and Teaching from Barcelona University (2008), specializing in photography and video art. Her background also includes studies in Cultural Management (Barcelona) and Project Management (Melbourne). Previously, she served as the Director of the Young Gallery Weekend art festival in Barcelona (2015–2018) and as an Advisor for the festival in 2019.
Currently, running Fire Escape Contemporary Art from Melbourne, an art project that she started in 2012 in Barcelona.
Her research and her performance are focused on developing and establishing an art community globally. Since 2012, she has concentrated her efforts on the development of a social environment suitable to encourage the creative process as well as intellectual skills from a critical thinking point of view.
MANIFESTO
Fire! Fire!
Finally.
Fire always simplifies. It eliminates the superfluous, the uninteresting. And what remains is creation. That kind of magic worth getting second-degree burns for.
Do you see that ladder? Go up.
In this culture lab, we experiment through the red scales.
We get as much volcanic material as possible out of a photograph.
We replace pencils to torches within the illustration.
The architecture has as a reference ‘The Towering Inferno’.
Video creation throws its armies against the fireproof.
Performances from the ashes.
The creation scientific process is deconstructed.
The art as a catalyctic.
The open wound at last understood.
There are many stairs that promise to take you to Heaven. This is the one that guarantees you direct access to the fire.
PURE SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION
BURNING WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN
ART FOR EVERYONE
ART WITHOUT LIMITS
A PLACE FOR THE CRITICAL THINKING
INTELLECTUAL SKILLS THROUGH ART EXPERIENCES
ABOUT CONTEMPORARY ART
Do you smell that?
Something is on fire.