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Dive deep into Miquel Barceló’s practice with the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco
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A new book with and for an essential artist
and a major institution:
Miquel Barceló and the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco
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To coincide with the exhibition "Miquel Barceló. Oceanographer" from June 7 to October 10, 2024, the Nouveau Musée National de Monaco and JBE Books are co-publishing a retrospective and thematic book embodying the artist's work over the last 40 years.
This book goes beyond its function as a catalog: it is an authentic artist's book. Thanks to the museum's commitment to the international outreach of artists, this publication underlines our commitment to working with partners and artists to create essential, enduring works for worldwide distribution.
Enriched by original contributions from Chantal Thomas (member of the Académie Française) and Marie Darrieussecq (author of Truism), these works, photographs and texts by leading contemporary voices provide an insight into Miquel Barceló's practice. His constantly evolving work plunges into the depths of the sea, explores Mediterranean landscapes and tackles universal themes, positioning him as one of the most innovative contemporary artists.
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Miquel Barceló. Oceanographer
Foreword by H.R.H. The Princess of Hanover
Foreword by Björn Dahlström
Texts by Chantal Thomas, Marie Darrieussecq, Stéphane Vacquier and Guillaume de Sardes
Interview with Miquel Barceló
19.5 × 25.5 cm
216 pages
140 illustrations
Design by Agnès Dahan Studio
French edition
ISBN : 978-2-36568-087-5
English edition
ISBN : 978-2-36568-088-2
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Miquel Barceló, born in 1957 in Felanitx, Mallorca, is a world-renowned contemporary Spanish artist. Active since the 1980s, he excels in various media such as painting, ceramics and sculpture.
His career took a significant turn in the 1990s when he discovered ceramics in Mali, influenced by local traditions. This period marked the beginning of an intense and diverse artistic exploration, reflecting his interest in nature and African experiences.
Barceló has distinguished himself on the international scene with notable exhibitions, from the Venice Biennale to the Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul. Major projects, such as the decoration of Mallorca Cathedral and the fresco at the UN in Geneva, testify to his impact in the artistic field.
His ever-evolving oeuvre explores marine depths, Mediterranean landscapes and universal themes, making him one of the most innovative contemporary artists.
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Larvaire, 2015, mixed media on canvas, 74.8 x 94.5 in.
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“Far from seeking to break his ties or forget his origins, Miquel Barceló is constantly going deeper with them, exposing them to the brightness of his imagination, in order both to perpetuate them and (…) to recreate them in a blend of fidelity and transgression, tenderness and cruelty, rootedness and freedom.”
Chantal Thomas in “Companion of Octopuses and Algae”
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Gambes, 2020, ceramic, 3.8 x 17.9 x 18.2 in.
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“Miquel Barceló, Oceanographer is the sharing of an artist’s life and his travel diaries, the fruit of the meticulous and fabulous observation of nature.”
Björn Dahlström in “The Fish-Man”
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Après le déluge, 2015, mixed media on canvas, 23.6 x 31.9 in.
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“The shimmering of the giant squid, an immense rainbow in the water, rivaled the beauty of the orca’s bicolored hide. It too promised a difficult fight: it swam on the surface of the tank but could stay underwater for up to twelve minutes—“and without a respirator” said one child admiringly.”
Marie Darrieussecq in “Between Two Waters”
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Mayurqa, 2014, hand-embroidery on painted canvas, 95.7 x 118.1 in.
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“What applies to these waves applies to the rest of his output: for him, each work is an opportunity to eternally return to the birth of art.”
Stéphane Vacquier in “Mobilis in Mobile: Art as a Theory of the World”
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Pulpo bianco, 2002, ceramic, 15.7 x 13.8 x 13.8 in.
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“The Greek leitmotif of the octopus reflects and nourishes one of Barceló’s own obsessions, attracted as he is by the “manifold, strange, undulating” creature, even to the point of self-identification.”
Guillaume de Sardes in “Barceló Among the Myths”
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Oblada, 2015, mixed media on canvas, 11 x 14.2 in.
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