Paco Barba

Paco Barba (Mexico City, 1981) is a Mexican curator, artistic director, and graphic designer working at the intersection of music, visual culture, and international collaboration. He studied graphic design at Columbia College Chicago.

From 2005 to 2013, he collaborated with Thrill Jockey Records in Chicago, contributing to numerous releases while helping build connections between artists from Chicago and Latin America. He later served as Talent Buyer and International Artistic Director at Centro Cultural São Paulo (2013–2015), where he further developed his curatorial and programming work.

His projects have been supported and recognized by institutions including the MacArthur Foundation (International Connections Fund), Experimental Sound Studio, FUNARTE, and the Tokyo Art Book Fair.

Since 2015, Barba has been part of Grupo Indie Rocks!, where he oversees artistic direction across venues, concerts, and festivals. He currently serves as Deputy CEO, contributing to the strategic development and international positioning of the company.

He is involved in the development and curation of festivals such as Hipnosis Festival and Pitchfork Music Festival CDMX. Under his direction, venues including Foro Indie Rocks! and House of Vans have hosted a wide range of international artists, among them Yo La Tengo, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, IDLES, The Flaming Lips, Stereolab, Slowdive, Mac DeMarco, Boy Harsher, and TR/ST.

His work is characterized by a sustained commitment to artistic excellence, experimental music, and meaningful cultural exchange