Religion, Politics, and Sex: The World's First Museum of Forbidden Art Opens in Barcelona
The world's first museum of censored art has recently opened in Barcelona, housed in a building dating back to the early 20th century and designed by architect Enric Sanyé. The exhibition features works of art that were once subjected to censorship or removed from exhibitions. It includes paintings, sculptures, and installations by artists such as Picasso, Klimt, Ai Weiwei, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Leon Ferrari, as reported by The New Barcelona Post.
The new museum, Museu de l'Art Prohibit, was founded by Catalan journalist and businessman Tacho Benet.
"The Museu de l'Art Prohibit collection comprises over 200 works that were censored, banned, or condemned for political, social, or religious reasons," as stated on the museum's website.
"The collection consists of various art forms, including paintings, sculptures, engravings, photographs, installations, and audiovisual works, primarily created during the second half of the 20th century and the 21st century." The collection and a full list of works are available on the website.
Among the exhibits, visitors can see Franco in a refrigerator, a crucified Ronald McDonald clown, prayer rugs adorned with high heels, and sketches from former Guantanamo prisoners.
The art on display is as intriguing as the hidden art because both reveal two sides of the same coin: the authority that decides what to show, where, and when, according to the organizers.
Today, to ban the display of a work of art is the highest compliment that can be offered to its creator.
Many of the works belong to globally renowned artists such as Ai Weiwei and Robert Mapplethorpe, while others are iconic pieces from the history of contemporary art, such as Leon Ferrari's "Western and Christian Civilization" or Andres Serrano's "Piss Christ."
The museum's collection is not limited to 21st-century works. Benet's collection also includes Pablo Picasso's "Suite 347" (1968), which was banned by the Chicago Art Institute in the 1960s, and a satirical series of engravings by Goya called "Los Caprichos" (1797-99).
The exhibition in Barcelona, spanning 2,000 square meters, can be visited daily from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
Recall that Spain had previously returned a portion of the stolen Scythian gold, valued at 60 million euros, which had been confiscated by the police from fraudsters with forged documents claiming affiliation with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.