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Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA)

Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona


Until 1995, when the Museum of Contemporary Art - Museu d'Art Contemorani (MACBA) - was opened in Raval district, a general and International Museum of Contemporary Art lacked in Barcelona. The most famous artists of Catalonia - Picasso, Dali, Miró - have their own foundations, who present their works in the special Museums.

The MACBA houses important works of international artists in changing exhibitions. The best known are likely to be Tàpies, Fontana, Saura and Klee. Focus is set on the second half of the 20th Century. Since the exhibitions every 3-6 months change and it is worth being informed about the current exhibitions before a visit.

In MACBA mainly special exhibitions named artists - sculptors, painters, and filmmakers - will take place. But the MACBA also invite to join. So, regular workshops, conferences, film projects, audiovisual performances take place. Its origins the MACBA had in 1959, as the art critic Alexandre Cirici Pellicer suggested the opening of a museum for contemporary art. Together with Cesáreo Rodriguez Aguilera, he contributed the first works of art. The - clearly politically motivated - exhibition "Art and Peace" was shown 1963, which showed the two art lovers also the limits of political provocation in times of Franco's dictatorship. Their cooperation had ended.

In 1985 seized the then Minister of Culture of Catalonia, Joan Rigol, the idea of a museum for contemporary art again. In 1986, the preparations were stopped by a new city council. The Casa de la Caritat was  the building constituting the museum in Barcelona. In 1987, the MACBA Foundation, in 1988 then a consortium of city government, the Generalitat and MACBA Foundation, which ultimately ordered the construction. In 1995, then the Museum of Contemporary Art was given to the public.

The American architect Richard Meier-designed a somewhat cool-looking building since its opening to mixed reactions today by visitors. The sobriety is reinforced by the contrast to the gloomy partly acting District Raval.

Book tickets for the MACBA here

  • MACBA: tickets for admission
  • Articket: free admission to 6 museums
  • Barcelona Card: free and reduced admissions to many sights and museums, free use of public transport
 

Important information

Surroundings
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Address
Plaça dels Angels, 1
Phone: +34 934 120 810
www.macba.cat

Arrival
Metro: Universitat (L1, L3), Catalunya (L3)
Bus Turístic: Plaça Catalunya
Parking nearby

Opening times
Mon. - Fri.: 11:00 - 19:30
Sat.: 10:00 - 20:00
Sun. and Holidays: 10:00 - 15:00
Closed: Tue. (except bank holidays), 25 Dec., 1 Jan.
Last admission 30 minutes before closing times

Admission
Regular: €12.00
Reduced: €9.60 (Pupils, students, seniors 65+)
Children up to 13 years: free
Free admission with the Barcelona Card and the Articket Barcelona.

Information on the visit of the Museum MACBA

We recommend you to schedule approximately 1.5 hours to visit the museum.

Look at the graffiti of Andy Warhol (restoration of the original) in the square to the left of the entrance.