The Museu de l’Art Prohibit (‘Museum of Forbidden Art’) opened last week in Barcelona’s Eixample district, showcasing a collection of over 200 artworks that were previously “attacked, denounced or removed from exhibition” due to political, social or religious reasons.
The collection consists of a diverse range of artworks including paintings, sculptures, engravings, photographs, installations, and audiovisual pieces from the late 20th and 21st centuries by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Francisco de Goya, Gustav Klimt, Ai Weiwei, Robert Mapplethorpe and Tania Bruguera.
The collection was initiated by the journalist and entrepreneur Taxto Benet, who acquired the first painting by Santiago Sierra, Presos Políticos en la España Contemporánea (Political Prisoners in Contemporary Spain), after it was discarded by ARCO, the International Contemporary Art Fair, in 2018.
The art exhibited includes sculptures of famous and infamous figures, connotated comment about religion and politics, and several traditional pieces that were censored for other reasons.
“Although some of these pieces may cause discomfort, respecting what differs from our values is the first step towards greater freedom and this is the main objective of the collection,” said Benet.
