The exhibition, Marta Palau My ways are earthly begins its tour beyond Catalonia to champion the work of Marta Palau (Albesa, Lleida, 1934 – Mexico City, 2022), an artist who went into exile in Mexico during the Franco dictatorship. Curated by Imma Prietodirector of the Museu Tàpies, with exhibition design by Amanda de la Garzaartistic deputy director of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, the exhibition opens at MUAC UNAM in Mexico on 15 November 2025.
Palau arrived in Mexico in 1941 with her family, welcomed by police supporting those fleeing the rise of fascism in Europe. The exhibition brings together drawings, archival material, paintings and textile installations from that period, alongside works from the artist’s final years previously shown at Barcelona’s Museu Tàpies.
The exhibition offers fresh perspectives through a chronological, biographical narrative exploring themes of territory, mysticism and magic, earth and creation, nature and humanity, exile and migration. These threads highlight the autobiographical dimension of the artist’s work and her engagement with contemporary social and political conflicts. The connection between past and present underscores the historical wounds of exile and their resonance today.
The significance of Marta Palau, revealed through the curatorial research, has produced tangible results for recognizing and preserving her legacy in Catalonia. This importance stems from her dual identity as an exiled artist and as a creator who built bridges between Mexico and Catalonia—connections made visible in this exhibition, which travels to Mexico after being shown in Catalonia.
Examining this diaspora caused by the Franco dictatorship allows us, decades later, to recover figures of great importance to Catalan culture. In the words of Imma Prieto, director of the Museu Tàpies and curator of the Mexico exhibition: As a Spanish artist exiled in Mexico, it is vital that Marta Palau’s work is recovered for the first time in our context but also made known in Mexico. The curatorial thesis is entirely innovative, validated by Mexican historians, as it draws substantially on access to her archival materials and personal diaries, thanks to the family’s generosity. She’s an utterly unknown artist, and it’s crucial to start building a heritage around her legacy.’
The research and curatorial work around this exhibition are compiled in a publication highlighting Marta Palau’s significance for both Catalan and Mexican contexts. This book, featuring texts by Imma Prieto, Amanda de la Garza, Rita Eder, Cuauhtémoc Medina, Natalia de la Rosa, Maria Josep Balsach and Lola Jiménez Blanco, will be presented on 30 November at 12:00 at the Guadalajara International Book Fair, with institutional representation from MUAC, the Museu Tàpies and the Institut Ramon Llull, underscoring the Museu Tàpies’ commitment to international collaboration. This event takes place as Barcelona serves as Guest City of Honor at the 2025 Guadalajara International Book Fair, one of the most significant moments in the global literary calendar.
The days leading up to the opening—10, 11 and 14 November, from 11:00 to 14:00—will be dedicated to media access, offering the opportunity for interviews with the curator and exhibition designer. On 14 November at 19:00, to mark the importance of this event, Imma Prieto and Amanda de la Garza will give a joint talk at the Spanish Cultural Center in Mexico, addressing Marta Palau’s artistic output and the experience of exile and its relationship with Spain.
In collaboration with Barcelona City Council, the Ministry of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Spanish Government’s Ministry of Culture, Barcelona Cultural and Scientific Capital, the Provincial Council of Barcelona, the Institut Ramon Llull, AECID, Spanish Cooperation, the Spanish Cultural Center in Mexico, Acción Cultural Española, GBM, Patronat Muac, Cinco M Dos, Ibero 90.0, Grup IMU and ETV.
