A Short Century: MACBA Collection

The Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm coined the expression ‘short twentieth century’ to refer to the time between the beginning of the First World War and the fall of the Soviet Union. The MACBA takes us on a chronological journey, via a sample of its vast collection made up of more than 5,000 artworks, that begins in 1929 with the Barcelona International Exposition and carries on through various political, cultural and social events, to the present day. Events such as the Spanish Civil War, the revolts of May 1968, the processes of gentrification in big cities, the feminist struggle, the debates around postcolonialism, and the critique of neoliberalism and globalisation.

You'll see some of the most emblematic pieces from the archives, among them 'Reserve of Dead Swiss', by Christian Boltanski; 'The Nature of Visual Illusion', by Juan Muñoz; and the wall of 'Inflammatory Essays', by Jenny Holzer. This permanent exhibition is presented as an open reading of the collection, which will allow the incorporation of other works to expand and enrich the story. It's a clear yet ambitious presentation that's accessible to all audiences.