Barcelona's Tàpies Museum unveils its 2026 program

The Tàpies Museum in Barcelona unveiled its 2026 program on Monday.

The new season will feature two major exhibitions dedicated to Antoni Tàpies.

'Antoni Tàpies: The Perpetual Movement of the Wall' will examine a key transformative period in the artist’s practice during the 1950s.

Open from February 12 to September 5, 2026, the exhibition takes as its focus four individual shows Tàpies held during that decade, each with distinct works and display approaches.

Meanwhile, 'Tàpies, Portabella. Politics of Friendship' will explore the importance of critical engagement through the lens of Tàpies’ friendship and collaboration with filmmaker Pere Portabella.

Open from September 20, 2026, to February 2027, the exhibition will highlight the alliances forged between the two creators and investigates the intersections of art and politics.

It will also feature previously unseen works, emphasizing the "enduring need" for a critical perspective on the world.

Other notable artists featured in the 2026 program include Àngel Jové, Cristina Lucas, and Penny Siopis.

Museum director Imma Prieto noted that institutions today are undergoing "profound transformations," striving to respond to the present while generating discourse and creating spaces for collective knowledge.

Part of the museum's strategy includes expanding its international presence, with projects planned in the United States and India.

Currently, the Tàpies Museum attracts around 36,000 visitors annually, most of whom are local.

Although this figure is lower than in previous years, Prieto emphasized that past numbers were inflated by the Tàpies Year on the artist's 100th anniversary, which drove exceptional public demand.

"There are half as many visitors now, but we also do half as much, because a pace like last year's is not sustainable," she added.