Located in El Raval, a working-class district of the city, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona is a museum that focuses on artists and artistic movements in Catalonia.

Origins of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona

In the late 1950s, several modernist artists laid the foundations for temporary exhibitions, with the long-term goal of setting up a permanent museum. Their attempts were unsuccessful due to the political environment at the time, but in 1987, the idea was brought back to the attention of the local council of Barcelona, which hired American artist Richard Meier to create the project of a new museum. A location in El Raval, a poor neighborhood in central Barcelona, was chosen, following the renovation or raising of the standard of living in this location.

Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona - Exterior

The opening of the museum that took place in 1995 also led to the creation of other cultural institutions in the area. Barcelona Center for Contemporary Culture is a nearby museum with temporary exhibitions that has been open since 1994 and the former monastery across the street from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona is also used as an exhibition space.

The building that houses the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona

Meier designed a bright white building that contrasts sharply with what is around him. In the center of the rectangular building with a length of 120 meters there is a circular atrium that stretches along the four floors and connects the exhibition spaces through a series of ramps and passages. The facade of the building is dominated by a three-storey high glass wall, overlooking a large square, which allows natural light to enter the building.

Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona

Museum art collection

The collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art focuses on contemporary art from the 1940s to the present. The first floor hosts the permanent exhibition that presents the museum's collection by rotation, and the other floors host temporary exhibitions. Among the most important exhibits are works by Catalan artists such as Joan Miro, Antoni Tapies and Francesc Torres but also foreign artistic movements or artists who had a remarkable impact on the local art scene such as Alexander Calder, Paul Klee, Dieter Roth and other influential artists.

Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona

Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona

Schedule:
Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 7:30 PM.
Tuesday is closed (except for public holidays.
Saturday is open between 10 AM and 8 PM
Sunday and the public holidays are open from 10 AM to 3 PM.

Prices:
The ticket price is: € 11.00.
There are also reduced tickets between € 5.50 and € 8.80

Address:
Placa dels Angels, 1, 08001, Barcelona.

Transport:
Metro: L1 (Catalunya or Universitat), L2 (Universitat), L3 (Catalunya or Liceu)

Tourist objectives Barcelona

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