¿Is it Worth it? Barcelonas Fundació Miró | What to see in Barcelona

You’re only in Barcelona for so many days and you want to make the most out of your time here. In this video, I’m taking you inside the Miró Foundation so you can decide if it’s worth it on your next trip to Barcelona. What’s up guys? Patrick here, tour guide and your guide to Barcelona. One of the questions I most often get by tourists in the city is “Is it worth it?” My channel is all about answering that question so you can see for yourselves and be better prepared for your next trip to Barcelona. So hit subscribe to see other ideas and other videos on things you can do in this amazing city and make sure you hit that like button so others can know as well.

00:45 - The Miró Foundation is the place in Barcelona to come and see the works of the Barcelona-born artist Joan Miró and get an overview of the various stages of his life and work. Those who want to see one of the 20th century’s most famous artists, need to come here, you’ll find over 200 paintings, almost as many sculptures, and various other works by Miró, as well as varying exhibits of contemporary art. Unlike many of the other museums in Barcelona, the Miró Foundation was specifically built for Joan Miro’s work. Designed by Miró and his good friend Josep Lluis Sert, it is built in a rationalist style while representing a traditional mediterranean house with a roof you have to visit. It sits up atop Montjuic and gives you some spectacular views of the city.

01:34 - It is a bit of a journey, but was purposefully placed here to combine the study of contemporary art, with architecture and the surrounding landscape. While public transport makes it easy and leaves you at the front door, it is recommended to take one of numerous paths through the mountain to get the full experience. Once you’re there, admission is 13€, but if you live here, it might be more worth it to pay the extra euro for the annual pass. Art lovers will be glad to know that the Miró Foundation is another one of the 6 museums offered as part of the Articket. A 35€ passport for incredible savings on the city’s best art.

02:24 - Miró’s work is unconventional, but easily recognized. Most visitors to Barcelona are familiar with his iconic mural on Las Ramblas, and those that have flown in out of Terminal 2 will have seen his mural as well. Personally, I have always been a fan and think of Miro’s work as very playful and expressive. It is, however, difficult to describe or classify, sometime’s only being able to say “oh, that’s a Miró”. And that’s what you’ll see on display here. His early work has many landscapes from the Catalan countryside and in fact one of his most famous paintings, The Farm was purchased by Ernest Hemingway.

He later 03:10 - dabbled in various styles, like Surrealism, although he rejected the title. Overall, Miró didn’t want to be defined by the conventional ideals, something you might notice as the styles change as you move around and definitely within his Anti-painting, which I think really shocks you as a visitor. As part of his assassination of painting, you will see destoyed canvases that might spark some interestign conversations. One of my favorite parts of the museum is the mercury fountain on display designed by American Alexander Calder because of the story behind it. The fountain was originally designed for the Spanish Pavillion in 1937 at the International Exposition in Paris as a way for the Spanish Republican Government to gain support during the Spanish Civil War.

Calder was the only non- Spaniard on display 03:47 - in the pavilion, and was alongside The Reaper by Miró and Picasso’s Guernica. Interestingly enough, the building was designed by the same architect, Sert, who created the building we are currently in. The mercury was used to call attention to the siege of the town of Almaden and its mercury mine by Francoist troops. Spain accounted for 60 percent of the world’s mercury at the time making this a strategic take over The fountain like the other famous pieces called attention to the atrocities of the Civil War. Don’t worry, unlike at the Expo, the fountain is kept behind a glass case.

03:49 - Along the way you’ll find the mercury fountain by Alexander Calder, originally designed for the Spanish Pavillion during the Paris Expo in 1937. The only non- Spaniard, Calder’s work was on display along Miró’s the Reaper and Picasso’s Guernica. Like the rest of the work in the Pavillion, the fountain called attention to the Spanish Civil War, specifically the rebel troops’ attack on the mercury mine in the Spanish town of Almaden. Spain accounted for 60% of the mercury in the world at the time making this a big blow to the Republican Spanish Government. Don’t worry, unlike at the Expo the fountain is kept behind a glass case.

04:44 - After you venture around the museum for a little bit, you get up to the roof terrace. Which doesn’t have a lot up here, a few different sculptures by Miró, but what you do get are some awesome views out to the Collserola and Tibidabo mountains and just into the city in general. Miró has been a huge influence on many other artists, including Antoni Tàpies who has his own museum in the city, but you’ll also be able to catch all sorts of different exhibits for other artists in the museum as well. Make sure you check out the website before your visit so you’ll be up to date on the latest announcements. We’re now in the gardens on the outside of the the Miró Foundation, and now that you’ve seen the inside, let me know what you think.

Leave a comment below and let me 05:39 - know if you’ll be stopping by on your next trip over to Barcelona and if you’ve already been, let everybody else know what you thought of your experience. As one of Barcelona’s most known artists it’s a really great experience, it’s a really great chance to see all of his work, get incredible views of the city, and if you’re over on Montjüic and planning on spending some time here, it’s something that I always recommend that you do. Remember, that for only 35 euros is one of the 6 museums that’s included in that Articket, I’ll leave a link in the description below. Check out some other videos, hit subscribe if you haven’t done so already so that you can find out more about what you can do in Barcelona. Thank you for watching and I’ll see you next time. .