El Blog

Looking back over 2009, what can we say we are proud of? Of the number of visitors? Of course that’s important but not more than other aspects, although naturally we value and are very grateful for the number of visitors we receive.

However, what we really are proud of is the fact of promoting the educational programme, of having produced some temporary exhibitions that, as a result of the research, have contributed new knowledge about the works of Picasso, of having renovated the museographic presentation of the series of Las Meninas, of having restored the ceilings of the Palau Aguilar, of the increase in loans of works to international exhibitions, of having started the works of the new building that will accommodate the new services of Knowledge and Research, of having put the collection online, of having renewed the spaces of security with leading-edge technology,  of having increased the acquisitions of the collection of the museum, of having diversified the offer of activities and with a multi-disciplinary vision, of having actively entered in the social networks or 2.0, of having invited international and national experts to collaborate with the museum.

We present here a graphic summary in 21 images, 21 aspects or actions of the many that have been carried out, to which the whole team has dedicated a lot of effort and emotion.

All in all, the museum programmed more than 700 activities, followed by 22,000 participants, and received 1,393,357 visits.

1. Open doors to the museum for the city festivities, Mercè 09. Visitors to the room of the Las Meninas, presented with a new museography. Photo: Jordi Mota.

2.- Visit of the new installation of “Las Meninas“, in room 12, along with the drawing of the preparatory sketch by Picasso in 1957, made the day before the start of the series, and generously donated to the museum in 2009 by Catherine Hutin, daughter of Jacqueline Picasso. Photo: Jordi Mota

3.- Pablo Picasso. Sketch for “Las Meninas”. Coloured pencil on paper. MPB 113.292. preparatory sketch by Picasso in 1957, the day before the start of the series, and donated to the museum in 2009 by Catherine Hutin, daughter of Jacqueline Picasso.

4.- Christopher Green, curator of the exhibition, and Pepe Serra, director of the Museum, presenting the exhibition Living Things. Figure and Still Life in Picasso, open until 1^st March 2009, and that received more than 160,000 visitors. Photo: Ronald Stallard.

5.- Exhibition Living Things. Figure and Still Life in Picasso. Photo: Ronald Stallard.

6.- Educational games. In the image, playing an adaptation of the board game Joc de l’oca (similar to Snakes and Ladders) with works from the Museum collection.

7.- Winter workshop: making masks based on the works of Picasso from the museum collection.

8.- Preparing the setting up of the Kees Van Dongen Exhibition. In the image an art restorer analyzing a painting.

9.- A visitor to the Kees Van Dongen exhibition, following the explanations of the professor John Klein. Photo: Lafotografica.

10.- Wood engraving and Japanese paper workshop. In the photo, Tatsuya Mitani orienting the learning of a participant in the workshop. Photo: Jordi Mota.

11.- Meticulous work of a multi-disciplinary team, made up of art restorers specialised in polychrome wood and graphic documents. The intervention of the restoration of the ceiling of the Palau Aguilar has uncovered a rich decorative repertory.

12.- The Mercè 09 festivities in the museum. Photo: Jordi Mota.

13.- Rethinking Picasso. Presentation of the work carried out by the students of the Course of Creative Illustration and Communication Techniques from Eina, School of Design and Art, who interpreted different aspects of the life of the Picasso Museum through illustration.

14.- Application of the fluorescent pistol of X-rays for identifying different metallic elements of a sculpture in bronze.  In the image, a radiographic study of the Picasso sculpture Fernande, from 1906.

15.- Diversity publics of museum. Photo Jordi Mota.

16.- Making the museum accessible to a wide variety of public. The director attending a group of elderly visitors.

17.- Opening of the exhibition Secret Images. Picasso and the erotic Japanese Prints. Palau Finestres. Photo: Ronald Stallard.

18.- A class from the Master’s Degree course that takes place in the museum, from the “Rethinking Picasso” module, within the Master’s Degree The Art of Today, organised jointly with the UAB (The Autonomous University of Barcelona), and attended by students from different countries of Europe and Latin America.

19.- Works for the construction of the new building in the Plaça Sabartés, which will house the Centre for Knowledge and Research. Photo: Josep M. Llobet.

20.- The Night of the Museums, open doors, music and activities to enjoy the early morning hours.

21.- The blog of the museum, that gathers together the various social networks in which the museum is present (Facebook, Flickr, Youtube, Twitter, Slideshare, Delicious) and which we invite you to share.

You can see these pictures enlarges in the album “Resum Visual del 2009” / “Visual Summary 2009 of Picasso” on our Flickr channel.

If you want to see video, here we offer you a selection:

-Video of the inauguration of the exhibition Living Things.

-Video of the exhibition Van Dongen.

-Video gallery of Visions of the collection. 

In the next post we will talk about the projects planned for 2010

Conxa Rodà

Project Manager

Have you participated in any of the activities of the museum? What did you like most? What do you think is missing? We’ll appreciate it if you leave your comments here.