MACBA Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, Contemporary art museum in El Raval, Spain
MACBA is a museum for contemporary art in El Raval, Barcelona, housed in a white modernist building with extensive glass fronts. The galleries inside spread across several floors and are lit by daylight coming through the large windows.
The idea for a museum of contemporary art in Barcelona began in 1959 through art critic Alexandre Cirici Pellicer, who brought together artists and works. The building was erected decades later and opened its doors to visitors in the 1990s.
The plaza in front of the building has drawn skateboarders since the 1990s who use the smooth surfaces and ramps for practice. The scene has become part of neighborhood life in El Raval and mixes with visitors sitting on the steps or walking through the area.
The museum opens on Mondays and Wednesday through Friday in the late morning and closes in the early evening, with an extra hour on Saturdays. Sundays end visits in the early afternoon, so plan your time accordingly.
The collection holds over 5,000 works from the mid-20th century to today, focusing on Catalan and Spanish art after 1945. International pieces complement the display and show developments in the contemporary art scene from different regions.
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