Curious how a stark white building landed here? That’s the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art MACBA. It stands proudly in Plaça dels Àngels. Imagine this square without it. Hard to do right?
The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art opened in 1995. But its story started much earlier. Art critic Alexandre Cirici Pellicer wanted a contemporary art museum in Barcelona back in 1959. He gathered artists and held exhibitions hoping to start a collection.
Fast forward to 1986. The City Council recommended Richard Meier to design the museum. Critics Francesc Miralles and Rosa Queralt wrote the museum’s mission. The MACBA Foundation was created in 1987. Meier was commissioned in 1988 to build it. A rather odd move perhaps. The museum had no collection at the time.
The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art was planned for the 1992 Olympics. But it opened later in 1995. Local media called it a pearl. This pearl sits among old architecture. It is near Barcelona’s Gothic center. Its style connects to Modernism. The building is large 120 by 35 meters. Its south side is mostly glass. Natural light floods the galleries.
The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art holds around 5000 works today. This is up from 1100 at opening. The collection focuses on Catalan and Spanish art after 1945. International artists are present too.
In 2007, the Center for Studies and Documentation MACBA opened. It collects items complementing the art. The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art acquired a 15th-century chapel in 2014. This became another exhibition space. It also includes two large halls.
Inside the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, you find three main galleries. These can be divided. There are five smaller galleries too. One sits in a tower.
The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art publishes exhibition catalogs and other books. They offer lectures, tours, and screenings. These enhance the public’s experience.
Finding the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art is easy. It is located in Plaça dels Àngels. The Capella del MACBA is nearby. It is in the Convent dels Àngels. It features video art and entrance is free.
Another museum the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona is next to MACBA. The square in front of the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art is famous. Skateboarders love this spot.
Many people have directed the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art. Elvira Dyangani Ose is the current director since 2021.
So step inside the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art. Explore its collection and architecture. Reflect on the ideas it presents. It is a pearl worth discovering.