translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville,
281013: Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya: Tápies. From Within
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
Tápies. From Within
21. 06. 2013 – 03. 11. 2013
Sent to the cellar
By Wolfang Pichler
This to date largest retrospective of works by the artist who passed away in 2012, failed to fulfil its self-defined goal, to meet his posthumous wishes. For one, it had been Antoni Tàpies long-standing wish to once present his works at the Museu Nactional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), but it was his explicit wish that his work be displayed as a both a supplement as well as a contrast to the wonderful and worldwide exclusive Romanesque apses on the museum’s ground floor – and not, as this is the case in a White Cube installed in the cellar. And secondly, Tàpies did not like his early surrealistic works - and it is precisely these works that were used to form the starting point of the rather uninspired chronologically arranged exhibition, which leave the impression of a being mediated in a rather cold way.
Nevertheless, a visit is absolutely worthwhile due to the energy and wonderful composition of his paintings. They frequently mediate an unbelievable intensity with their large format and few gestural lines and mainly earthy colours. Sand and earth not only serve as pigment but are predominantly the material on which the painting is based. Windows, doors and other found objects are effectively and simply mounted into the works. The artist, who is often falsley described as informal, is most powerful when he lets the objects speak for themselves - if he simply presents the beauty of an old door or the structural and colour nuances of sand; wherby his often very political statements, not randomly in catalan, also deserve attention.
After visiting the Tápies show, it is highly recommended to look at the Romanesque church fragments and paintings, that have been mounted on visible wooden constructions and collected from all over Spain, because only then will this allow one to perceived the logical connection between Tàpies oeuvre and these building structures which he admired to so much.
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
03038 Barcelona, Palau Nactional, Parc de Montjuic
Tel: 00 34 93 622 03 76
Fax: ’0034 93 62 03 83
Email: mnac@mnac.cat
http://www.mnac.cat
Opening hours: Winter (1/10-30/4): Tue-Sat 10-18 hours, Sun, Fri: 10-15 hours
Summer (1/5-30/9): Tue - Sat 10-20 hours, Sun, Fri: 10-15 hours
Mehr Texte von translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville
281013
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
08038 Barcelona, Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc
Tel: +34 93 622 03 76, Fax: +34 93 622 03 83
Email: mnac@mnac.cat
http://www.mnac.cat
Öffnungszeiten: Winter (1/10-30/4): Di-Sa 10-18, So, Fei 10-15 h
Sommer (1/5-30/9): Di-Sa 10-20, So, Fei 10-15 h
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
08038 Barcelona, Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc
Tel: +34 93 622 03 76, Fax: +34 93 622 03 83
Email: mnac@mnac.cat
http://www.mnac.cat
Öffnungszeiten: Winter (1/10-30/4): Di-Sa 10-18, So, Fei 10-15 h
Sommer (1/5-30/9): Di-Sa 10-20, So, Fei 10-15 h