MADRID – In an exhibition at the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Madrid with which the artist Rogelio López Cuenca wants to reopen ongoing conversations about Pablo Picasso, controversy has arisen over the way he does so.
“I paid a ticket to see art, not filth,” one man complains in a complaint form he filed against the National Museum of Decorative Arts. “You can see the level of this Ministry of Culture, no humor, no criticism, just bad taste,” writes another woman. Formal complaints are piling up in the offices of this museum in Madrid’s El Retiro Park.
Art or bad taste?
Visitors have formally complained about the ‘PI©A$$o™’ exhibition, which focuses on Picasso’s ‘caganers’ to mark the 50th anniversary of Picasso’s death. Caganers are traditional Catalan Christmas characters. The exhibition consists of 90 of these Christmas figures with a naked rear end spread across the museum’s permanent collection. They demystify the Malaga artist and call for reinterpretation, but provoke both debate and controversy. “We used to receive a complaint every two months. Now we receive at least one a day,” the employees tell Infobae.
Glorified artist back on earth
The artist wants to draw a new perspective on Picasso based on the reconstruction of his image. In his view, this has been deified and magnified in recent decades. From his political commitment or his relationship with women, openly labeled as misogyny by several historians, to the commercial relationship of his works. “The Picasso brand cannot in any way be reconciled with failure,” López Cuenca argues. With this exhibition, he aims to bring Picasso back to earth.
Who was Pablo Picasso?
Pablo Picasso was a Spanish artist, born in 1881 in Málaga. He is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He was a pioneer in the development of Cubism and has an extensive body of work that includes paintings, sculptures, drawings and ceramics. His best-known works include “Guernica” and “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon”. Picasso’s contributions to modern art have given him legendary status, and his works remain influential in the world of art and culture.
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