Until the end of November, around forty artworks from the MACBA collection can be discovered in unexpected places across 23 municipalities in Catalonia. This initiative, titled Un Museu fora del museu (A Museum Outside the Museum) and curated by Martí Manen, aims to bring contemporary art closer to citizens as part of the museum's 30th-anniversary celebrations.
The goal is to explore new ways of interacting with contemporary art in daily life and to question the traditional boundaries of the museum. According to Martí Manen, removing artworks from their usual setting, such as placing a piece inside a magazine in a hairdresser's, makes the relationship with the artwork "much more direct and free," despite a potential loss of control over the narrative.
The project involves 25 centers from the Public System of Visual Arts Facilities. In Martorell, two works by Ferran Garcia Sevilla will travel by bus; in Valls, the Hermes hairdresser will exhibit a piece by Francesc Abad; the cemetery in Lleida will host a work by Fina Miralles, and pharmacies in Cardedeu will screen the film Caricia by Iván Argote. Each location has established a unique connection between the artwork and its surroundings.
At the Museu-Arxiu Tomàs Balvey in Cardedeu, for instance, the project has been linked to the pharmacy, a key element of the museum. Five local pharmacies are displaying one of the pieces, with the hope, according to Marta Núñez, that it will "spark curiosity and connect people with the artwork, the museum, and MACBA."
Artists have welcomed the idea enthusiastically. Francesc Abad expressed his "pleasure" that a piece from the 1970s is touring the region, "the place where I have always worked." Martí Anson found it "charming" to see the "closer-to-people" relationships generated between his work and elements like the clock at the Town Hall of Vic.
Martí Manen highlighted that the project tests the relationship with art in unexpected environments, such as the Library of Catalonia, and also encourages the museum to rethink its connection with users. He emphasized that the two functions of a museum are "to preserve and to open up," and this project focuses on the latter, potentially acting as a catalyst "for us to become more interested in the artists' work."
The initiative stems from the desire of Catalonia's visual arts centers, supported by the Department of Culture and MACBA.
