An exhibition at Barcelona’s Model Prison seeks to redefine the concept of Outsider Art
Works by prisoners, psychiatric interns and artists with mental illness will be on display.
From 13 November 2018 to 17 February 2019, the fourth gallery of the former Model Prison is hosting an exhibition that aims to review the concept of Art Brut or Outsider Art in order to redefine it within the framework of today's society and promote the social integration of people who coexist with mental illness by fighting against the stigma they suffer. To do so, 'L'art irreductible: miratges de l'art brut' features artworks by prisoners, psychiatric inmates and artists with mental illness, taken mainly from the La Caixa Contemporary Art collections, mab, the Josefa Tolrà Association and from the private collections of the Catalan psychiatrists Ramón Sarró and Joan Obiols. Art critic, teacher and illustrator Mery Cuesta is the curator of the exhibition.
The term Art Brut was coined in the middle of the 20th century by the French artist Jean Dubuffet and redubbed Outsider Art in English by the art critic Roger Cardinal in 1972. The multiple meanings attributed to these terms has led to some confusion – something that this exhibition aims to address in the main show and also through parallel activities such as round table discussions, talks and guided visits. In the central courtyard of the prison, the visitor will find the Milcaps project, a participatory sculpture designed by Marcel·lí Antúnez, cofounder of La Fura dels Baus, which was made with people who coexist with mental disorders. On a tour around the cells, the visit will take a trip that starts from the origin of Art Brut in spaces of isolation and reaches the present day. The show has a second headquarters: the Nau Gaudí in Mataró where the exploration into the essential meanings of the genre will go even deeper. The exhibition in Mataró can be visited from 22 November to 20 January.
The exhibition is co-organized by the Setba, Bassat and Sant Pere Claver Foundations, the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the City Council of Barcelona and the City Council of Mataró.
Additional information is available at the following link.