The first day of By Invitation, the modern and contemporary art fair of the Círculo Ecuestre, which began on November 7 with an exhibition of more than 80 national and international artists, by 24 galleries, gave rise to the interesting dialogue The Miró Year.
In a colloquium presented by the president of the Círculo Ecuestre and curator of the exhibition, Enrique Lacalle, and moderated by Sergio Vila-Sanjuán, responsible for the Cultura|s supplement of La Vanguardia, Sara Puig, president of the Joan Miró Foundation, and Marko Daniel, its director, highlighted Miró's legacy and the role in the culture of Barcelona that the entity that will soon celebrate 50 years has.
During the discussion, Puig highlighted the visionary spirit of Joan Miró, who "gave us an extraordinary example by creating a foundation that served as a platform for emerging artists at a time when Spain was closed to the world". He recalled that, with the establishment of the Foundation in 1975, Miró offered the citizens of Barcelona and the whole of Spain a window to contemporary art that "was a symbol of openness and generosity, also reflected in the public works that the artist donated to the city, such as the airport mural and the mosaic on Las Ramblas". In his speech, Puig highlighted how Miró "dreamed of a hospitable and generous Barcelona, which welcomed everyone through art and culture".
For his part, Marko Daniel informed the public of the programme that the Foundation has prepared to celebrate its half-century of history, the aim of which is to bring the Foundation and its programming closer to a broad and diverse public. "The 50th anniversary will be a unique opportunity to reconnect with the public of Barcelona and with international visitors", he said. The celebration will begin in June with an opening party and will feature a retrospective project in which “four Barcelona artists will review our first 50 years through a unique reading of our archives and our collection”, Daniel said.
Among the upcoming notable exhibitions, Marko Daniel pointed out the Miró and Matisse exhibition, which explores the relationship and parallels between the two artists. “Miró and Matisse broke with the conventions of their time, and this exhibition delves into the points of connection between them, thanks to the work of Matisse’s son, Pierre, who was Miró’s gallery owner in New York and responsible for introducing his work to the United States”, he commented.
Access to the foundation on Montjuïc was another prominent topic of the colloquium. “It is crucial to improve access to the mountain to consolidate it as a cultural epicenter”, said the director of the artistic entity. As a proposal, he suggested renaming bus 150 as the “Montjuïc Cultural Bus”, with the aim of facilitating the arrival of tourists and locals to the mountain. "At each meeting of the Board of Trustees we insist on this issue, and we are going to redouble our efforts to make it a reality in the coming years", she added, referring to the anniversary of the 1929 Universal Exhibition as a good time to make these improvements.
The Foundation also reaffirmed its commitment to emerging artists through Espai 13, an experimental space that has been a platform for great figures in the art world, such as Jaume Plensa. "At each edition of ARCO, 75% of the artists have passed through Espai 13, a pride that reinforces our role in detecting new talent", Puig said.
To close the discussion, Sara Puig insisted on the importance of keeping Miró's spirit alive in the city and strengthening access to its emblematic spaces, such as the airport mural and the Las Ramblas mosaic: "It is essential that Barcelona preserves this legacy and makes it accessible to everyone".
The event was an opportunity to highlight the role of the Joan Miró Foundation in Barcelona's culture and to reaffirm its commitment to a future in which Miró's art and legacy continue to enrich future generations.