A Barcelona Gem: Museu Europeu d`Art Modern

This was a nice, serendipitous find. And it is in the old part of the city, just a medieval stone’s throw from the huge long lines of folks snaking their very slow and slinky way into the Picasso Museum. Sure, go see Picasso’s work if you haven’t been, but definitely make an effort to visit MEAM. (Key info: Open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00a.m. to 8:00p.m. Closed Mondays. An adult ticket is 7 Euros. Carrer Barra de Ferro 5, Barcelona.)

In the current exhibit, Art Contemporani Figuratiu Segle XXI, you’ll see paintings and sculptures that celebrate the human form…from its beauty and innocence, to its ugliness and cruelty.

It is refreshing and stimulating to see work that is much more contemporary and cutting edge than you would normally see in your standard Acme Museum of Contemporary Art.

Below are a few images in which I tried to place some of the works in juxtaposition.

As a philosophical and ethical aside, would these photographs of mine qualify as derivative works of art in their own right, or are they simply records of the creations of others? That is, does the juxtaposition bring in to play other messages or ideas not extant in each of the individual works alone? This could be an interesting debate.

At the very least, I suppose, this method of seeing and photographing (when allowed) within the museum setting could be a better approach for you if you wish to bring travel photos home to your friends that have more interest than the usual straight snapshots of the Mona Lisa or whatever…