Museu de l’Art Prohibit
The concept behind this small independent museum, which opened in a graceful mansion near Passeig de Gràcia in 2023, is simple. All of its exhibits have at some point been banned, censored, denounced, or removed from display. The collection, assembled by the journalist and entrepreneur Tatxo Benet, includes plenty of well-known examples of shock art, from Goya and Picasso to Robert Mapplethorpe and Ai Weiwei, alongside striking pieces by lesser-known Spanish and international artists. Silence Rouge et Bleu by the French Algerian artist Zoulikha Bouabdellah consists of 30 prayer mats, each neatly set with a pair of glittering high heel shoes. Western Christian Civilisation by the Argentinian artist León Ferrari shows the figure of Christ nailed to a US fighter plane. The Spanish dictator Franco and former king Juan Carlos also feature, in a variety of undignified positions. Beside each artwork is an information panel explaining the circumstances in which the artwork was banned or censored. Not for the easily offended, this museum feels of its time—and brave.
The concept behind this small independent museum, which opened in a graceful mansion near Passeig de Gràcia in 2023, is simple. All of its exhibits have at some point been banned, censored, denounced, or removed from display. The collection, assembled by the journalist and entrepreneur Tatxo Benet, includes plenty of well-known examples of shock art, from Goya and Picasso to Robert Mapplethorpe and Ai Weiwei, alongside striking pieces by lesser-known Spanish and international artists. Silence Rouge et Bleu by the French Algerian artist Zoulikha Bouabdellah consists of 30 prayer mats, each neatly set with a pair of glittering high heel shoes. Western Christian Civilisation by the Argentinian artist León Ferrari shows the figure of Christ nailed to a US fighter plane. The Spanish dictator Franco and former king Juan Carlos also feature, in a variety of undignified positions. Beside each artwork is an information panel explaining the circumstances in which the artwork was banned or censored. Not for the easily offended, this museum feels of its time—and brave.
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