Spain gears up for year-long celebration of surrealist Joan Miro
8 June 2025 10:51
BARCELONA (AFP)The torchbearers for one of Spain's most famous artists, Joan Miro, are promising a year-long fiesta of events honouring the surrealist, and the foundation he set up half a century ago.Miro, who died in 1983 aged 90, was a giant of the surrealist movement, known for his playful, abstract paintings with bright geometric forms and doodle-like calligraphic lines.The Joan Miro Foundation, which he established in a purpose-built modernist structure on top of a hill in Barcelona in 1975, now houses a vast collection of his canvases, sculptures and other works.The institution is planning a year-long series of events to mark the half-century, ranging from exhibitions and concerts to a sunrise visit to its hilltop building."In these 50 years, we've gone from being an artist's dream to becoming a cultural reference point in Barcelona and around the world," said foundation director Marko Daniel.The foundation traces its roots back to the early 1970s, when Miro -- then living in the nearby island of Mallorca -- sought to reconnect with his native city by creating a centre for contemporary art studies.Architect Josep Lluis Sert, a close friend, designed the distinctive white-concrete building on Montjuic hill, overlooking Barcelona. The foundation opened quietly on June 10, 1975 at Miro's request to avoid an official ceremony.Spain's celebrations of Miro kick off on Wednesday with the opening of an exhibition of photos, press clippings, and architectural plans which trace the institution's evolution over the years.The foundation will open its doors on Sunday at sunrise to allow visitors to experience the building bathed in the light of dawn.One of the highlights of the anniversary will be the opening in October of 'Miro and the United States', an exhibition examining the surrealist artist's connections with America -- a relationship less documented than his ties to France.Miro visited the US seven times between 1947 and 1968, and the show will feature works by American icons such as Louise Bourgeois, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko alongside the Spanish artist's own pieces.
Miro initially drew inspiration from artists such as Vincent van Gogh or Paul Cezanne before developing his own unique style.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
9 hours ago
- Al Etihad
Spain gears up for year-long celebration of surrealist Joan Miro
8 June 2025 10:51 BARCELONA (AFP)The torchbearers for one of Spain's most famous artists, Joan Miro, are promising a year-long fiesta of events honouring the surrealist, and the foundation he set up half a century who died in 1983 aged 90, was a giant of the surrealist movement, known for his playful, abstract paintings with bright geometric forms and doodle-like calligraphic Joan Miro Foundation, which he established in a purpose-built modernist structure on top of a hill in Barcelona in 1975, now houses a vast collection of his canvases, sculptures and other institution is planning a year-long series of events to mark the half-century, ranging from exhibitions and concerts to a sunrise visit to its hilltop building."In these 50 years, we've gone from being an artist's dream to becoming a cultural reference point in Barcelona and around the world," said foundation director Marko foundation traces its roots back to the early 1970s, when Miro -- then living in the nearby island of Mallorca -- sought to reconnect with his native city by creating a centre for contemporary art Josep Lluis Sert, a close friend, designed the distinctive white-concrete building on Montjuic hill, overlooking Barcelona. The foundation opened quietly on June 10, 1975 at Miro's request to avoid an official celebrations of Miro kick off on Wednesday with the opening of an exhibition of photos, press clippings, and architectural plans which trace the institution's evolution over the foundation will open its doors on Sunday at sunrise to allow visitors to experience the building bathed in the light of of the highlights of the anniversary will be the opening in October of 'Miro and the United States', an exhibition examining the surrealist artist's connections with America -- a relationship less documented than his ties to visited the US seven times between 1947 and 1968, and the show will feature works by American icons such as Louise Bourgeois, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko alongside the Spanish artist's own pieces. Miro initially drew inspiration from artists such as Vincent van Gogh or Paul Cezanne before developing his own unique style.
UAE Moments
14 hours ago
- UAE Moments
Photo of The Day: Environmental Activist Rob Greenfield
Environmental activist Rob Greenfield walks around Beverly Hills, California May 16, 2022 wearing a suit filled with every piece of trash he has generated living and consuming like a typical American for one month to raise awareness about how much garbage just one person generates. - Greenfield is currently on day 27 of the 30-day project and is wearing 63 lbs (28,5kg) of trash. PHOTO: AFP Follow us for more amazing beauty, fashion and luxury content on our Instagram and Facebook. Join us in our newsletter. Sign-up here Follow us on our Whatsapp channel for latest news
Dubai Eye
4 days ago
- Dubai Eye
Alcaraz bludgeons Paul to reach French Open semis
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz steamrolled past American 12th-seed Tommy Paul 6-0 6-1 6-4 at the French Open on Tuesday with a jaw-dropping display of attacking tennis in one of the most one-sided men's quarter-finals in Paris in recent memory. Four-time champion Iga Swiatek, who is looking to become the first woman in the professional era to win four consecutive titles in Paris, also punched her semi-final ticket with a straight sets win over Elina Svitolina of Ukraine to set up a mouth-watering semi-final with world number one Aryna Sabalenka. But it was four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz's merciless dismantling of Paul that grabbed the fans' attention, with the 22-year-old Spaniard terrorising the former French Open junior champion who looked like a fish out of water. Alcaraz charged through the first two sets in just 53 minutes and in near flawless fashion, hitting winners at will and chasing down every ball before the shell-shocked American had any time to react. Paul pulled himself together to hold serve and go 4-3 up in the third but as the sun gradually went down over Paris so did the curtain on his inspired run, with Alcaraz winning three games in a row to put him out of his misery in just 94 minutes. "I could close my eyes and everything went in," Alcaraz said. "My feeling was unbelievable. I tried to hit the shots 100% and not think about it." "Today it was one of those matches where everything went in," he said. He will next take on in-form Italian Lorenzo Musetti who battled past American Frances Tiafoe in four sets after surviving a second-set wobble, to reach the French Open semi-finals for the first time. Musetti Warning Musetti, the world number seven, who escaped with a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct when he kicked a ball at a line judge, eventually overran 15th seed Tiafoe. "Honestly it was really unlucky coincidence," said Musetti of the incident. "I was a little bit scared, because I really didn't want to harm nobody, of course. So I immediately went to the line umpire, and I of course said, 'sorry', I apologise to everyone." "It was right to have a warning, but I think the umpire saw that there was no intention about that and that's why probably just, you know, let me continue my game." That occurred in the second set when Musetti, the only man to reach at least the semi-finals of every main claycourt event this season, was given balls to serve. He kicked one to inadvertently hit the line judge, who barely flinched even though she was hit on her upper body. Grand Slam rules state that players are issued a warning at first instance for any ball abuse. Tiafoe, however, called it 'comical' that there was no serious punishment. "I mean, obviously he did that and nothing happened," said Tiafoe, who had looked surprised and pointed out the incident to the chair umpire. "I think that's comical, but it is what it is. Nothing happened, so there's nothing really to talk about. Obviously it's not consistent, so it is what it is." Earlier, and in front of a sparse crowd around lunchtime, Swiatek braved the windy conditions to beat Svitolina 6-1 7-5. Although Swiatek failed to win a title going into the tournament this season, she looks to have rediscovered her remarkable claycourt form in Paris, stretching her winning run at the French Open to 26 consecutive matches following her title three-peat between 2022-24 to add to her 2020 crown. Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka, hunting her first French Open crown, also needed just two sets to overcome Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and snap her opponent's 10-match winning streak at Roland Garros with a 7-6(3) 6-3 victory. "I think we're all here for one reason," Sabalenka said. "Everyone wants that beautiful trophy. I'm glad I have another opportunity, another semi-final to do better than last time."
