El Blog

When our director Pepe Serra said goodbye to the team at the Museu Picasso he told us: ‘We have done ten years’ work in five years.’ What follows is a brief summary of some of the projects carried out during his time as director.

· Research and development of exhibitions that contribute knowledge and added value.

“Feasting on Paris. Picasso 1900-1907” (2011). Self-Portrait with Palette, Picasso, Paris, 1906 |  “Picasso Looks at Degas” (2010).

Forgetting Velázquez. Las Meninas (2008). Photo: Lafotogràfica | Lee Miller. Picasso in Private (2007)

· The Museu Picasso welcomes current art

Rodney Graham. Possible Abstractions (2010) | Series of performances

· New installation of the series Las Meninas, presented in chronological order

· Donation of a sketch of Las Meninas to the Museum by Catherine Hutin, daughter of Jacqueline Picasso

Pablo Picasso, Sketch for Las Meninas, Cannes, 16 August 1957 Coloured pencil on paper 24 x 30.5 cm Donated by Catherine Hutin MPB 113.292

· Increase in international loans of artworks to Picasso-related exhibition projects of outstanding importance around the world:

Preparations for the journey. Placing the artwork in the shipping crate

– Harlequin travelled to Rome for the exhibition Picasso 1917-1937: l’Arlecchino dell’Arte (2008-2009) and to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (2010-2011).

– Seven canvases from the series Las Meninas, La Nana, a self-portrait and the portraits of Sabartés and Casagemas were loaned to the Galeries nationales du Grand Palais in Paris for the exhibition Picasso et les Maîtres. Las Meninas also went on show in the National Gallery in London (2008-2009).

– Waiting (Margot) was loaned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Art Institute of Chicago and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris (2006-2007)

· Relaunch of the website and development of strategy and activities for 2.0 communication and the social networks, which won the Best of the Web award at the M & W conference in Denver, CO, 2010

· Preparation of the online collection and upload on the Internet.

· Improvements in visitor services with the introduction of online ticket sales, the arranging of time slots for group visits and the launch of the Museu Picasso Pass.

· Launch of a new multimedia audio guide in eight languages

· Restoration of the Palau Aguilar with the discovery of medieval polychrome ceilings and the carrying out of an X-ray study of the collection

Restoration of the ceiling of the Palau Aguilar | Analysis of Woman’s Head (Fernande Olivier) with an X-ray fluorescence gun

· Setting up of the new Centre for Knowledge and Research in a new building on the Plaça de Jaume Sabartés

A study day in the Centre for Knowledge and Research. Photo: Conxa Rodà

· Setting up of the Education Service and the Museu Picasso’s work to become a learning resource for all educational levels

Neighbourhood Projects | A dynamic visit to Las Meninas by a primary class

· Expansion of the programme of activities relating to the collection and the temporary exhibitions. Development of projects in collaboration with other organizations and building closer links with the neighbourhood

‘Let’s Talk about Painting’ with Frederic Amat. Photo: Jordi Mota | Japanese Woodcut and Print Workshop. Photo: Jordi Mota | Big Draw. The Festival of Drawing. Photo: Bárbara Piffre

· Setting up and running of the Postgraduate Course in Museum Management ‘How a Museum Works’ in conjunction with the IDEC in-service training institute at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)

· Launch of a new publishing venture with the Abstract and Focus collections

The booklets in the Abstract collection are designed to accompany some of the Museu Picasso’s temporary exhibitions. Each one includes a summary of the show’s thematic areas, a selection of the most important works and key passages from the catalogue. The booklets in the Focus collection accompanying the small- and medium-format exhibitions set out to analyse in greater depth particular works in the museum’s collections

· Setting up of a Picasso Network in conjunction with other institutions that manage facilities dedicated to the artist and his work, including Gósol Town Council, the Picasso centre in Horta de Sant Joan, the Museum in Cadaques and the Fundació Palau in Caldes d’Estrac.

We also have a number of projects in progress at an advanced stage!

· Process of creating a Museu Picasso Barcelona Foundation

· New articulation and presentation of the permanent collection

· Publication of a new print guide to the Museu Picasso

· Production of a of 50 min. video, Picasso and Barcelona.

Maybe we hyave accomplished ten years’ work in just five. What do you think?

Museu Picasso newsroom