17 Aug 10 Barcelona Museums to Appreciate Catalan Art
We go to Barcelona to dance and eat, but we stay to savour the culture. Passionate as it is, the Catalan temperament continues to express its uniqueness through art and to exhibit its creative achievements all throughout the city. As a result, the Catalan capital is mottled with passageway galleries, street artists and travelling exhibitions. Fusing architecture with installations, paintings and sculptures, Barcelona museums are among the greatest in the world. In between tapas, sangrias and football, take a day out of your Barna summer, and pay them a visit.
1. Fundació Joan Miró
Set on the Montjuïc hill, the Joan Miró Foundation pays homage to one of Barcelona’s greats. But it’s not only Miró’s exceptional talent that’s been unveiled here – devised as the Centre of Studies of Contemporary Arts, the museum exhibits works by Peter Greenaway, Chillida, René Magritte, Rothko, Tàpies and Saura as well, and all that inside of the stunning building erected by Josep Lluís Sert. Bright and airy, the white arches and walls of the Foundation display a collection of 225 paintings, 5,000 drawings and almost all of the Miró’s graphic work, with an addition of about 150 sculptures.
Parc de Montjuïc, s/n
2. Museu Picasso
Proclaimed a museum of national interest by the Government of Catalonia, Museu Picasso is by all means one of Barcelona’s most emblematic sites. It’s quite easy to find it, due to the longs queues extending all through La Rambla, and it’s needless to say that it’s worth your time. Built during the artist’s life, the museum now mostly explores the loving connection Picasso had established with the Catalan capital and its avant-garde circles, and displays an imposing collection of around 4,000 pieces.
Apart from 58 canvases inspired by Velasquez’s Las Meninas, portraits of Jaume Sabartés, Picasso’s secretary and close friend, and the artist’s bequest donated by his widow, you’ll see a couple of his tour de forces, with The First Communion and Science and Charity being the most famous ones.
Carrer Montcada, 15-23
3. Museu d’Art Contemporani
To embark on a journey through MACBA is to travel through the contemporary art scene of Catalonia from its beginnings in the mid-20th century to the present time. “The pearl” of the Barcelona architecture, inspired by the Modernista movement and designed by American architect Richard Meier, is certainly not what a typical Barcelona tourist is used to – crypt-like and minimalistic, the entire construction of the enormous building has been adjusted to let natural light in and present the art just as it is. Housing somewhere around 5,000 pieces, the museum mostly focuses on the national – Catalan and Spanish alike – art, and takes much pleasure in baffling visitors with its hermetic peculiarity.
Plaça dels Àngels, 1
4. Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
As a national museum of Catalonia, MNAC is irresistibly emerging. It’s not only a collection of artwork, of course, but a unique chance to relish a culture of an entire region – with an uncountable number of pieces, the museum allows the visitor to travel through a thousand years of Catalan art. With the museum’s oldest pieces dating back from the 12th century and the newest ones reflecting the 20th century, MNAC provides an all-encompassing overview of the nation’s creative efforts.
Being a highlight of the permanent exhibition, the collection of Romanesque church paintings is empowered by pieces from the late 19th and early 20th century, which represent both Catalan modernisme and noucentisme. Like the Joan Miró Foundation, MNAC is located on the Montjuïc hill, and housed by a magnificent Italian-style Palau Nacional.
Parc de Montjuïc, s/n
5. Fundació Antoni Tàpies
Exposed bricks and suggestive iron nettings are nowhere near to being the most untraditional materials Antoni Tàpies used to create his art. Usurping the contemporary art scene during the 50’s, one of the most celebrated artists in Barcelona has made his unconventional legacy public, and found the most emblematic of places to present it.
Set in an old Montaner I Simon publishing house, the Antoni Tàpies Foundation is not a common museum. Its goal is to encourage and support the study and appreciation of contemporary art in Barna, just like its founder still aspires to. As a museum that hosts temporary exhibitions, lectures and film viewings, Fundació Antoni Tàpies is much more than a visitor might think – to Barcelonans, it is the centre of modern culture.
Carrer d’Aragó, 255
6. Fundació Mapfre
Opened for both art aficionados and enjoyers of simpler pleasures, the Mapfre Foundation has a very specific goal – to contribute to the welfare of citizens and society. Founded in 1979 as a non-profit organization, Mapfre now occupies ravishing Garriga Nogués building, and welcomes visitors from all around the world. In five specialized areas, this institution of humanity and art showcases collections from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, with works on paper and photography included as well.
Carrer de la Diputació, 250
7. Fundació Suñol
For those who digest their art by mood, colour or atmosphere, and find historical facts excessively tiring, Fundació Suñol offers a soothing solution. Out of an assembly of 1,200 pieces gathered by the founder Josep Suñol over a period of 35 years, the museum displays only 100 artworks per exhibition, with those being rotated every 6 months.
What’s amazingly unique and refreshing is the fact that the Foundation doesn’t arrange pieces by their chronological order, but presents them according to the mutual theme, motifs or tones instead. Mostly focused on Catalan avant-garde art, but with occasional inclusions from the international scene as well, the Suñol Foundation is perfect for casual museum-goers.
8. Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona
Internationally acclaimed for its contributions to the world art scene, CCCB is believed to be the largest centre of both academic achievements and pop art conquests in all of Spain. Opened for public in 1994 and situated in a former almshouse, the museum is praised for its eclectic approach.
But the exhibitions, debates, festivals and concerts that this multidisciplinary institution organizes are not its only artistic endowment – Casa de la Caritat alone is one of the architectural marvels of Barcelona, admired for the drastic stylistic contrast it provides to El Raval. Proud of the cultural heritage of Catalonia, but open for artistic traditions of other nations as well, CCCB is truly a nerve centre of Barcelona’s urban culture.
Carrer de Montalegre, 5
9. Museu Can Framis
Supported by Vila Casas Foundation, Museu Can Framis is a dedicated promoter of Catalan contemporary art. Established not so long ago, in 2009, the museum was built on the premises of an old factory and now attracts art aficionados from all over the globe.
Apart from its permanent exhibition that includes 300 pieces, all paintings, and which the Foundation continues to periodically update, Can Framis has opened an additional section – Espai Aø – for temporary displays as well. For those hungry for a dash of inspiration, the educational programs that this museum holds are a perfect opportunity to learn a creative side of Barcelona and find an undiscovered talent or two.
Carrer de Roc Boronat, 116-126
10. Arts Santa Mònica
Centre d’Art Santa Mònica truly knows how to throw an artsy party, and for that, collegiate Barcelonans are most thankful. Not quite a museum, but rather an integrative institution, Arts Santa Mònica allows its visitors to indulge in both art and science. For admirers of street art, the institution offers a unique fusion of travelling exhibitions and open-air presentations.
Inside of the building itself, thee galleries and a large foyer display contemporary installations, creations and projects and serve as venues for debates, readings and lectures.
La Rambla, 7
With collections of the finest art to explain, represent and honour culture of Catalonia, Barcelona museums are certainly worth exploring. “One museum, a thousand years of art” indeed.
