Sindominio Art Bar: Murals, Music and Alternative Nightlife

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Sindominio is a bar that opened just four months ago, but its story begins long before that. It’s on Vía Provenza and is a bar with lots of character.

The brand “Sindominio” started in the United States with Alejandro Paucar, a Medellín artist.

Its meaning, no domain, comes from a common place of frustration with artists, where they feel sold out to corporate systems that don’t appreciate their personal value.

Left with few choices, artists choose to work freely, even when it means settling for a life of paycheck-to-paycheck, or sometimes, not knowing where that paycheck is coming from next.

Sindominio: From Brand to Bar

Sindominio began as a brand of printed tees and cushions, with Alejandro’s art and business partner and childhood friend, Eduardo’s text on them.

When the business grew, they took their workshop to Poblado. After a while, they decided they wanted to open the house to the public and began raising funds with underground parties and get-togethers.

Finally, with three business partners total (an artist, a designer, and a businessman) they opened their house to the public!

Since then, you can officially go Tuesday-Saturday starting at 4 p.m. It’s located on Vía Provenza (Carrera 35) in Poblado (diagonal from Naan).

One of the spaces inside Sindominio.
One of the spaces inside Sindominio

Their ideal crowd is artistic, or interested in art, music and around thirty, though they told me, between chuckles, that their menu seems to bring in a range of customers from twenty-somethings to sixty-somethings.

The space is grungy and urban, with graffiti murals painted throughout the patio. They are also pet-friendly (really, pet lovers) and have good Wi-Fi. The music they play is, for the most part, less commercial ranging from rock to indie, some classics (I got movin’ to an MJ song for sure) and more.

When I visited, I spoke at length with Eduardo, and briefly with Alejandro who told me:

“We opened a place that is, more than unique, absolutely faithful to who we are. We don’t sell our ideas as different, they’re just entirely true to us.”

Live music night
Live music night

Art and Music Events

The place itself is very charming, fun to be in, young, and alternative. But more than the place itself, it’s the purpose that draws attention: a bar for art, music, and people with no domain and great creativity.

The events are faithful to this idea. The bar has permanent art exhibitions that change every month, for which they’re always receiving artists’ offers, weekly live music night on Thursdays, a live electronic DJ on weekends and monthly “Música y Muro” events in which local artists paint a mural inside the bar, and anyone can enjoy the show while having a drink.

They are even hoping to get their printing events up and going again. During these occasions, you can take a t-shirt to Sindomninio and have it printed with any of their styles offered, and since the technique is manual, it’s always unique.

Products

Sindominio prides itself on being a place where they offer as many local products as possible, starting with, of course, their prints on t-shirts, cushions and bags. They also offer gourmet dog food for your pup from Apetit.

Their t-shirt and bag designs are pop-art inspired with original ideas and text. Their online store is a bit bare for now (with all this business opening ordeal) but they’re for sale at several design stores in the city, or you can email them at ventas@sindominio.co.

One of their prints on a cushion
One of their prints on a cushion, this design suggests that the fragrance “atrae llamadas” makes more people call you.

Menu

Sindominio has a variety of cocktails from Bloody Marys to the classic Old Fashioned, and some named after their own designs like the “Amor Fogoso,” among many others, equally mouth-watering.

I am a big fan of their craft beer which is a type of toasted pale ale, with a red ale coming soon.

For food, the menu was created for the bar by a local chef and includes three items from their Bite The Dog collection- honestly the best hot dog I’ve had in Medellín- with bread from a Manila bakery, and sausages made locally as well, these are accompanied by rustic potato chips, ketchup and garlic and basil mayonnaise.

I loved the hot dogs, they’re really great beer food, but if you’re in the mood for something smaller, try the Yam Balls (bolitas de ñame). They are fried balls of yam (of course) covered with a light batter and aren’t greasy or heavy at all. They make a great snack!

Bolitas de Ñame
Bolitas de Ñame

I know there are a lot of places in Poblado, and in Medellín in general, that finding a place to go at night and going back a second time isn’t always likely. When there’s so much demand, the competition gets real.

However, if this place can be the niche for struggling artists and creative people of Medellín, it would fulfill its purpose.

I learned, when visiting, that their aim isn’t to be the best bar in Medellín, it’s to be the home of all the Medellín people with no domain.

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