The registration period is now open for the eigth edition of MEAM Hall, the international small-format group exhibition organized by the MEAM Museum.

The open call will remain open until May 31, 2026, or until all available spots are filled. Applications can be submitted through the website: www.fundaciondelasartes.org

This new edition will take place in two locations:

• Barcelona – from July 1oth to November 1st, 2026.

• Madrid – from November 12 to 29, 2026.

The exhibition continues to establish itself as a reference platform for contemporary artists, offering international visibility and the opportunity to take part in a high-level exhibition circuit.

You can consult the participation guidelines at www.fundaciondelasartes.org

19/02/2026

Museo MEAM in Barcelona is preparing its upcoming major exhibition, “Guillermo Lorca. Antológica,” dedicated to the renowned contemporary Chilean painter. The exhibition will open on May 21, 2026, and will remain on view until September 27, 2026.

The exhibition will present a broad overview of Guillermo Lorca’s artistic career, highlighting him as one of the most prominent figurative painters of his generation. His work is distinguished by a unique pictorial language that blends classical technique with contemporary sensibility, resulting in emotionally powerful and symbolically rich scenes.

Despite his relatively young age, the artist has built a strong international career and has exhibited at major institutions such as the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the GAM Centro Cultural, the MOCO Museum in Barcelona, and the National Gallery in Sofia, among others.

With this retrospective exhibition, Museo MEAM reaffirms its commitment to promoting leading figures in contemporary figurative art and to presenting exhibitions of international relevance.

18/02/2026

The MEAM Museum in Barcelona presents the exhibition “¡Viva Don Quijote!”, a proposal dedicated to the contemporary reinterpretation of the iconic character created by Miguel de Cervantes, in collaboration with Fundación “la Caixa.” The exhibition brings together a selection of works offering a contemporary perspective on this universal symbol of literature, exploring its artistic, symbolic, and cultural dimensions.

The exhibition invites visitors to rediscover the figure of Don Quijote through a contemporary visual language that engages in dialogue with pictorial tradition. The works present scenes that move between reality and imagination, evoking central themes of Cervantes’ work such as identity, dreams, memory, and the relationship between the individual and the world.

Through this exhibition, Museo MEAM reaffirms its commitment to promoting contemporary art and to developing projects that build connections between cultural heritage and current artistic practices. The collaboration with Fundación “la Caixa” reinforces the shared intention of bringing exhibitions to the public that encourage dialogue between tradition and contemporaneity.

The exhibition can be visited at the museum’s headquarters in Barcelona’s Born district.

17/01/2026

The MEAM Museum in Barcelona has inaugurated the exhibition “Realism 26: Figure and Time,” a new show dedicated to international contemporary realism that can be visited until May 17, 2026. The exhibition, currently on view, brings together a selection of paintings, sculptures, and drawings that reflect the vitality and diversity of figurative art in today’s artistic landscape.

The exhibition presents realism as a tool for observing the world with attention and depth. Through the works on display, visitors encounter scenes and bodies that act as visual testimonies of the present, inviting slow contemplation in contrast with the accelerated pace of contemporary life.

Two major themes structure the exhibition. On the one hand, the human body, a central subject of figurative art since its origins, appears as a vehicle of identity, memory, and individual experience. Each work offers an intimate approach to the human condition, revealing personal stories that transcend words.

On the other hand, the exhibition reflects on time, understood as an essential material of art. The works transform fleeting moments into permanent presences, becoming containers of human experience. In a context marked by immediacy, realist artists reaffirm the value of craft, observation, and dedication as ways of achieving a genuine understanding of reality.

With this new edition of “Realism,” the MEAM reaffirms its commitment to contemporary figurative art and its intention to bring it closer to all audiences, highlighting its ability to generate connection, recognition, and reflection through the representation of the body and the passage of time.

The exhibition can be visited at the museum’s headquarters, located in Barcelona’s Born district, until May 17, 2026.

16/01/2026

As part of the painting competition organized by the Association of Neighbors and Friends of Passeig Sant Joan, the museum will award the MEAM Prize, a special recognition that strengthens the bond between contemporary art and the urban space of the city.

The prize will consist of the selection of one artwork among the competition participants to be exhibited at the MEAM for four months, as part of the prestigious group exhibition "Figurativas 2025", which will take place from October 3, 2025, to January 11, 2026. This exhibition brings together the selected and award-winning works from the international painting and sculpture competitions organized by the museum every two years, making it one of the most important events in contemporary figurative art in Europe.

The MEAM jury, composed of the museum's own experts, will be responsible for selecting the winning artwork, offering the artist a unique opportunity to exhibit their work in a high-level museum setting and before an international audience.

This prize represents a new collaboration between cultural and community institutions to promote local artistic talent and create new exhibition opportunities for emerging artists.

For more information, visit: https://concursdepintura.blogspot.com/

16/05/2025

Without a doubt, today Modernism represents one of the most outstanding moments in Catalonia’s cultural history, currently admired worldwide. While architecture and painting have materialized this recognition through numerous publications and exhibitions, the same has not happened with sculpture. Without questioning its undeniable importance and presence within the Modernist movement, beyond exhibitions dedicated to some of its most renowned figures—such as artists Miquel Blay, Enric Clarasó, Carles Mani, Emili Fontbona, and above all, Josep Llimona (for whom MEAM held the last major retrospective in 2014)—, until now, there had not yet been a major exhibition aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of this artistic expression. That is why MEAM is proud to do so for the first time, presenting Catalan statuary from the late 19th and early 20th centuries from a different perspective.

In this regard, and following the line of exhibitions that our museum has dedicated to sculpture since its opening in 2011, we aim to bring visitors closer to the extensive collection from this period that we hold—probably the most important in private hands, alongside that of the MNAC—, enriched with various works from other collections, some of which are unpublished and have never been exhibited to the public before.

Throughout the different rooms of the main floor of Palau Gomis, visitors will be able to delight in contemplating the works of its main representatives while also discovering lesser-known names, which are no less interesting. Likewise, they will be surprised to uncover facets or unique aspects that, despite being lesser-known, became characteristic of this movement. Thus, this exhibition seeks to offer an opportunity not only to enjoy but also to reflect on the various sculptural expressions that took place in Catalonia at the turn of the century, a period that experienced a true golden age.

Exhibition from June 6 to September 28, 2025.

Curated by: Juan Carlos Bejarano.

11/05/2025

We’ve opened The MEAM Hall! We want to thank all the artists who are part of The MEAM Hall and everyone who joined us for a night full of art and encounters. The exhibition is now open at our museum in Barcelona — and soon… it will arrive in Madrid!

09/05/2025

Immerse yourself in contemporary realism during La Nit dels Museus at the MEAM, with a must-see double exhibition: Realism Now, featuring artists who are redefining contemporary realism, and the showcase of Eloy Morales, whose works impress with their technique and emotional depth. Plus, watch live painting sessions by artists from the Barcelona Academy of Art. A unique night of art and emotion.

01/05/2025

On Sunday, April 13, the Virtual Jury deliberation for the Figurativas 2025 competition came to a close, and the results of this first selection phase are now available.

We would like to sincerely thank all the artists who participated in this edition. Thanks to your talent and dedication, Figurativas continues to establish itself—year after year—as one of the world’s leading platforms for the promotion of contemporary figurative art.

You can now consult the full list of selected artworks, which must be physically shipped to Barcelona for final evaluation by the In-Person Jury, scheduled for mid-June. These selected pieces will also be part of the official exhibition opening on Friday, October 3, 2025 at the MEAM, coinciding with the awards ceremony.

View the list of selected artists by participant number and artwork title by clicking on this link.

The final verdict will be announced on July 1, 2025, and will include all awards except the First Prize in Painting, First Prize in Sculpture, Honorable Mentions in both categories, and the Painting Category Awards, which will be revealed during the exhibition’s opening ceremony.

You are warmly invited to attend the awards ceremony and the exhibition opening, which will take place on October 3, 2025, at the MEAM in Barcelona.

Stay updated on all competition news and upcoming events via our website www.fundaciondelasartes.org and on our social media channels @figurativas_

16/04/2025

The MEAM is pleased to announce the relaunch of the Sundays Sounds concert series, a selection of exclusive “unplugged” concerts featuring various musical genres: from indie to flamenco fusion, from tango to pop.

We invite the public to immerse themselves in a unique sonic journey, where, as usual at the MEAM, music intertwines with art and history.

Every other Sunday, from April to June, at 6:00 PM, the museum will open its doors to offer a complete cultural experience in which the audience can enjoy a special concert and explore our exhibitions. With a price of €18, this initiative aims to bring live music closer to all audiences, promoting artistic diversity in a unique setting.

This series proposes a journey through different musical traditions, representing the sounds that have defined cultures and eras. Each concert will be a window into a distinct sonic universe, connecting music with the historical and artistic context of the museum. The goal is to celebrate the richness of musical styles and their ability to evoke emotions and stories from different times and places.

03/04/2025

We are pleased to announce the new members of the physical and virtual jury. The artist Vincent Desiderio joins the jury for Figurativas 2025.

Vincent Desiderio is an American realist painter known for his complex and evocative compositions that explore the human condition. He studied at Haverford College, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy. His work has been exhibited in renowned institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.

In addition to his artistic practice, Desiderio is a senior critic at the New York Academy of Art and has been a visiting professor at various universities worldwide.

To learn more about his career and explore a selection of his paintings, visit his official website: vincent-desiderio.com.

Are you already working on your next masterpiece? Submit your proposal before March 14 at www.fundaciondelasartes.org.

03/02/2025

We are pleased to announce the new members of the physical and virtual jury. The artist Stephen Bauman joins the jury for Figurativas 2025.

Stephen Bauman, an American painter known for his masterful command of realism, honed his skills at the prestigious Florence Academy of Art, where he later became a principal instructor. His work, characterized by a delicate balance of precision and expressiveness, explores the subtleties of human emotion through finely rendered portraits and figurative compositions. With an approach rooted in classical techniques yet imbued with a contemporary sensibility, Bauman’s art has been exhibited worldwide, earning him recognition in renowned galleries and institutions. As a sought-after mentor, he continues to share his knowledge through workshops and online courses, inspiring a new generation of realist painters.

Are you already working on your next masterpiece? Submit your proposal before March 14 at www.fundaciondelasartes.org.

01/02/2025

Last Thursday, January 30, the MEAM Museum of Barcelona inaugurated the exhibition dedicated to the painter Eloy Morales. The evening was a true homage to contemporary figurative art, where talent, creativity, and passion merged to offer attendees an unforgettable experience, highlighting the importance of MEAM as a venue for cultural encounters that go beyond the purely visual.

Continue reading by clicking on this link: Blog del MEAM

31/01/2025

We are pleased to announce the new members of the physical and virtual jury. The artist Amaya Gurpide joins the jury for Figurativas2025.

Amaya Gurpide, a Navarrese painter trained at the School of Fine Arts in Pamplona, refined her technique at prestigious academies in New York. Her style combines graphite, gouache, charcoal, and other media in experimental layers that blend narrative and form. Her work explores the connection between personal storytelling and universal consciousness, creating pieces of remarkable depth. Awarded honors such as the Richard Estes Grant, her art has been exhibited internationally and featured in institutions like Time magazine. She is currently the Co-Artistic Director of the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts.

Are you already working on your next masterpiece? Submit your proposal before March 14 at www.fundaciondelasartes.org.

28/01/2025

Attention artists! Registrations are now open for the new edition of The MEAM Hall. This year, the exhibition will be on display in #Barcelona and #Madrid.

In this edition, as a courtesy to the participants, some artists will have the opportunity to exhibit, in addition to their 20 x 20 cm artwork, a larger piece for free in the Madrid exhibition, increasing their visibility.

More information and participation form at www.fundaciondelasartes.org.

24/01/2025

We are pleased to announce the new members of the in-person and virtual jury. The artist Nick Alm joins the Figurativas2025 jury!

A highly renowned Swedish painter, Alm is recognized for his evocative figurative work that masterfully captures human emotion and atmosphere. Combining classical techniques with a contemporary vision, his art has been exhibited in prestigious shows and collections worldwide.

Are you already working on your next masterpiece? Submit your work before March 14 at www.fundaciondelasartes.org.

23/01/2025