Barcelona's Museum of Forbidden Art closes its doors due to protests

The world's first museum dedicated to forbidden artworks closes its doors on Friday just a year and half after it opened in Barcelona due to protests by the workers union. 

Promoter and founder of the museum Taxto Benet assured the unwanted closure is attributed to the losses caused by the protests of the SUT union in front of the building over the last four months.

"The coercions and insults derived from this contingency have affected the usual functioning of the facility and the losses are unsustainable," the museum said in a statement. 

The workers’ union began the indefinite strike in February over poor working conditions including no proper climate control, long hours standing without seating or breaks, insufficient pay, lack of holiday compensation, and what they say is the museum’s failure to address their demands.

The collection will now tour internationally with exhibitions in different countries. "A collection that will remain alive and will be a meeting point to stand up to censorship," Benet said.

The museum featured more than 200 works that had been censored for political, social or religious reasons. Some pieces depicted controversial figures, including dictator Francisco Franco inside a fridge, Spain’s former king Juan Carlos I in a sexual scene with a Bolivian activist, and Saddam Hussein tied up and floating in a glass tank.

According to the museum, the protests have caused a 75% drop in revenue, compared to the same period last year, and a 95% decrease in the expected growth.