Whenever I’m traveling, I want to go to as many museums as possible, but they are quite expensive. Thankfully, I found out about the BCN Articket, which allows you to visit six museums for one set price of 30 euros! Without this ticket, you would spend around 60 euros for this many museums. With my art ticket I did some museum exploration and this is what I found.
Picasso Museum
To start my journey off, I ended up at the Picasso Museum. There, I found an arrow that said “Articket.” I showed proof of my ticket purchase and was given a red passport with the six museums inside. My passport was stamped, (under the Picasso museum slot), and I was allowed entrance. For more information on the Picasso Museum, visit my last post.
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC)
My second museum was the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, which is right off of the L1 metro stop Plaça Espanya. After A LOT of stairs, I made my way up to the top of the hill where this beautiful museum stood. Right when you enter, you will have to go through security and to your left you will find a desk where they will stamp your art passport. Along with your passport stamp, they will give you an MNAC sticker. Make sure you don’t forget this sticker because the attendants outside the exhibits will look for it. Without the sticker, you cannot enter any exhibit.
The MNAC is the largest and most diverse art museum in Barcelona. Whether you are a lover of Renaissance, Modernism, sculpture, photography, Avant-garde, or Neoclassicism, there is something for everybody. My favorite exhibit was Modernism because there was so much to see. If you are a lover of history, there’s a ton of cool archives from the Spanish Civil War. There are architectural pieces from some of Gaudí’s work, and beautiful Murals by Miró. I also got to see more of Picasso’s work in this exhibit because one of his most famous paintings was right there!
Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA)
The third museum I visited was the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art. The thing that I really loved about visiting this museum was its location. El Raval is a super hip neighborhood filled with skaters and graffiti. In fact, not far from this museum, you will find Keith Haring’s famous graffiti mural which is absolutely breathtaking (and free to observe). The structure of the MACBA is so different from all the other museums. It is inside a modern glass building, which helps create its contemporary atmosphere.
Right now, there is a Jaume Plensa exhibit which was really fun to see. Unlike most exhibits, this one is interactive, meaning you are allowed to touch the works. At the Plensa exhibit I saw that Jaume Plensa created the Crown Fountain in Chicago as a tribute to the people. As you can imagine, this was a very special experience for me as a Chicagoan. He has been able to inspire cities all over the world with his sculptures.
On the second floor of the museum, you will find a timeline of art from the late 1920s until the 2000s, filled with contemporary art from the time period.
Centre de Cultura Contemporánia de Barcelona (CCCB)
Located in the same El Raval barrio, is the Centre de Cultura Contemporánia de Barcelona. Unlike most of the other museums on the list, this one is a single exhibit that constantly changes. Right now, the exhibit being showcased is one about Stanley Kubrick, the famous American director.
This exhibit is probably one of the coolest things I have ever seen. Each room was dedicated to one of Kubrick’s films and had actual archives from the makings! In addition to these archives, there were large screens with clips from each film. It certainly was a sight to see.
In order to enter this exhibit, all you need to do is present your ArtTicket as soon as you walk through the entrance.
Fundació Joan Miró
Out of all the museums that I visited, this one was my favorite. The Fundació Joan Miró is out of the way, but is worth the travel. The building alone is so quirky. It’s made up of white, cubistic shapes. When you enter the museum, you don’t need to wait in line with the Articket. You simply walk past the line, where they will stamp your passport right before you go inside.
The first painting that I saw was Miró’s Village and church of Monti-roig. If you look closely, you will see a Catalan flag waving proudly. Like Picasso, Miró used art to express his deepest, sentimental feelings.
Miró was an “anti-artist.” His surrealist and avant-garde pieces have tested the boundaries of art. In the museum you will see some paintings that have been burned on purpose.
You will also see sculptures with familiar objects. Miró believed that even everyday tools could be considered art.
There are about three doors in the museum leading to outdoor sculptures. There are even benches there where you can relax and admire Miro’s work.
Right now, there is a really cool exhibit with work by a Brazilian artist, Lino Bo Bardi. I highly suggest taking a look at her drawings.
As you’re exiting the museum, you will find a room where visitors are allowed to create their own exhibit! There are colored pencils, scissors, scraps of paper, and tape. People can come to this room, create something and then hang it up on the wall.
Fundació Tápies
Our last stop on the ARTICKET was the Fundació Tàpies. This museum right in the center of the city offers temporary exhibitions only and many activities throughout the year.
The three-floor foundation offers not only Antoni Tàpies art but also other national and international artists. As you can see, there’s also an enormous old fashioned library that took me back in time.
Check out their annually program and plan your visit here!