By Juliana Ferrie
Tucked into a narrow alleyway in the El Born neighborhood of Barcelona, a trail of vibrant red heart balloons signifies the entrance to the Moco Museum.
As you cross through its gateway into the museum’s interior patio, visitors are met with their first clue of what’s in store for them inside: a giant sculpture with a skull-like face, cartoon features and arms outstretched in welcome.
Called “Final Days” by KAWS, this sculpture is part of the independent museum’s collection, which houses contemporary, modern and street art. In addition to its location in Barcelona, another Moco Museum can be found in Amsterdam.
KAWS, an American designer and graffiti artist who is known for prints, paintings and toys, is featured throughout the Moco. “Final Days” depicts the character Kurf, inspired by the Smurfs and made out of afrormosia — an African wood thought to contain spiritual energy.
The Amsterdam and Barcelona museums were founded by Lionel and Kim Logchies. Each piece of art within the museums is partially on loan from the Logchies’ “network of art lovers and collectors.”
The museum’s name comes from the first two letters in “modern” and “contemporary” — or Moco. Under the slogan “In art we trust,” the attraction welcomes those wanting to view the work of artists with unique visions.
In Barcelona, the Moco makes its home in the former Palacio Cervelló, which was the residence of the Cervelló family until the 18th century.
The palace was constructed throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. Architecturally, it is a mix of styles, but it has a memorable Gothic facade.
The Moco is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Adults can enter for €14.50 while students with a valid ID can buy a ticket for the reduced amount of €9.50.
Journeying through the Moco: The First Floor
Through its glass sliding doors, visitors enter the Moco's world. Colors jump at you from paintings, prints and sculptures as you take a minute to absorb what’s in front of you.
First, a bull’s heart sporting a dove's wings and a dagger through its center.
Next, a bright pink canvas asking, “If you think sexuality is a choice, how do you explain the fact that women still like men?”
And finally, a photo series called “Jesus is My Homeboy.”
This is just a taste into the mindsets of the Moco’s masters and the works found on the museum’s walls.
Damien Hirst’s “The Immaculate Heart — Sacred” is the name of the bull’s heart display. It is made of acrylic, stainless steel, silicone, resin, sterling silver barbed wire and a formaldehyde solution to preserve the heart and wings.
The sculpture is striking to say the least — from its physical nature to its interpretations. Hirst, who has been a part of the art scene since the late 1980s, is known for his pieces examining “relationships between art and beauty, religion and science and life and death.”
In addition to sculptures and paintings, like the bull’s heart, he has created other animal specimens preserved in formaldehyde.
Lydia Sanchez, who lives in Cubelles, Spain, said “The Immaculate Heart — Sacred” was a bit shocking to her. Specifically, she said she was surprised to learn the heart and wings were real through the museum’s audio guide.
However, she said this realization made the work even more impactful to her.
“It kind of looks like Cupid’s heart to me,” she said. “I’m not sure what the artist wanted to say, but when I see it [the sculpture], I think about love and all the pain and emotion that comes with it.”
Also on the first floor, there are works by Keith Haring and Andy Warhol. Haring, who also rose to fame in the 1980s, was an American artist well-known for his “pop-graffiti aesthetic,” specifically the bold, outlined figures he created against patterned or solid backgrounds.
Haring’s art addressed many social issues. From 1980 through 1985, Haring discovered a canvas in unused advertising panels, which were covered in black paper in subway stations. He began drawing on the papers with chalk, making hundreds of these public works.
Today, these pieces of Haring’s have been deemed “subway drawings” — one of which can be viewed in the Moco. According to museum signs, these pieces only made their home in the subway for two days to two weeks.
Warhol was also an American artist who was known for being a leading figure in the pop art movement. Specifically, his art conveyed relationships between advertising, artistic expression and celebrity culture prominent in the 1960s.
The portrait of Marilyn Monroe created by Warhol, which can be viewed in the Moco, was made in 1962 as a tribute to her after her tragic death, according to museum information.
To the left, Warhol's portrait of Marilyn Monroe is pictured. To the right, one of Keith Haring's "subway drawings" can be seen. Warhol died in 1987, and Haring died in 1990.
After going up a couple stairs and around the corner, a ponderous piece from the “Jesus is My Homeboy” photo series can be observed.
The creator, David LaChapelle, found inspiration for the piece when he saw someone wearing a shirt that said “Jesus is My Homeboy” in 2003. LaChapelle began to reflect on Jesus and his 12 apostles.
More specifically, he asked himself the following: What would they look like in the 21st century?
“Originally, the apostles were misfits and dreamers,” Moco museum signs read. “So, if Jesus were here today, he would see beyond race or background, welcoming all in his inner circle to uphold the morals and values of Christianity.”
The series photo displayed in the Moco is “The Last Supper.” A diverse group of individuals sit around Jesus, clinging onto his every word. We see tattoos, beer bottles, Adidas clothing and even a blonde woman portraying an angel.
LaChapelle created the series to take back positivity about being a Christian, as well as having religion. The works are not meant to be ironic; rather, it is a message of the seriousness of LaChapelle’s own faith, according to museum information.
Diving into the Second Floor
Exiting outside and walking up the stairs of the interior patio, you are brought to the second floor of the museum.
Immediately, in a narrow corridor, you are met by a moving piece of art. In the projection, cartoon individuals walk on curved lines in an endless cycle. They are all different from each other, and they walk briskly to their destinations.
Called “Les Fantomes,” the moving art captures participants who are “to let go and embrace their curiosity.” The work is a tribute to the Moco itself and its art lovers, contrasting between the journey of their daily lives and their visit to the museum.
This video captures "Les Fantomes" in motion at the Moco Museum.
The lively, moving corridor brings you to an open room — one side of which is covered in mirrors. This space is a tribute to the work of KAWS.
A couch made of Snoopys, more sculptures of skull and crossbone characters and bright paintings are available for visitors to ponder. Each of KAWS’ colors are made to order by Golden Paints and picked ahead of time.
Some of his pieces are close-ups of beloved cartoon characters.
Pieces of KAWS' work on display at the Moco. KAWS is also well-known for his interpretation of Mickey Mouse, which also has a skull head and x-ed out eyes.
A change from the lively cartoon characters created by KAWS, the next room is the Banksy exhibit. Banksy, an anonymous graffiti artist, painter and activist, is known for “bombing” — or illegally painting — works on walls all over the world.
Oftentimes, these pieces bring light to social issues and serve as commentary.
His work “Home Sweet Home,” created in 2006, is a vandalized oil painting. In this series, Bansky painted over original works to convey a message.
In this particular painting, Banksy seems to tell society to wake up and start making change in a corrupted world, conveyed through his harsh, ominous lettering.
Olivia Garcia, a museum visitor from New Jersey, said “Home Sweet Home” is her favorite work inside the museum.
“I’ve always been a big fan of Banksy,” she said. “It’s really cool to get to see his work in person.”
In particular, Garcia looks up to Banksy because of his outspoken stances on global social justice issues. Her favorite series of all time is “Girl with Balloon” — one of which is also featured in the Moco.
“There’s just so many ways to interpret it,” Garcia said about the series. “To me, I think the little girl is losing the balloon.”
In a 2018 auction, "Girl With Balloon" sold for $1.4 million. Soon after being sold, it partially shredded itself — another Banksy trick.
Another — almost horrifying — Banksy work within the Moco is “Bullet Hole Bust.” In this sculpture, Banksy rewrites David vs. Goliath.
While David defeats Goliath in the tale, this sculpture, with a prominent bullet wound in David’s forehead, tells a much different story.
Another exhibit displays the work of Chilean artist Guillermo Lorca. In his paintings, Lorca takes inspiration from the fairy tales we grew up hearing — though his are often quite darker.
His paintings, which are inspired by Rembrandt and Caravaggio, take on Renaissance and Baroque qualities laced with violence and fantasy. Each piece has a dreamlike sensation to it, and it transports you into a multifaceted world.
Lorca has over 330,000 followers on Instagram.
Whether you’re super into art or just looking for something fun to do, the Moco Museum in Barcelona is worth seeing. No matter what your goals are going into it, you will leave with a new perspective.
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