The exhibition Marta Palau My ways are earthly begins its journey outside the Catalan territory with the aim of highlighting the figure of Marta Palau (Albesa, Lleida, 1934 – Mexico City, 2022), artist exiled in Mexico following the Franco dictatorship. Curated by Imma Prietodirector of the Tàpies Museum, together with the exhibition conceptualization ofAmanda de la Garzadeputy artistic director of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, the exhibition opens at the MUAC UNAM in Mexico on November 15, 2025.
Palau arrived in Mexico in 1941 with his family, thanks to the reception policies aimed at those fleeing the rise of fascism in Europe. In this sense, this exhibition brings together drawings, archival material, paintings and textile installations from that time, together with pieces from the last stage of the author’s life, previously presented at the Museu Tàpies in Barcelona.
The exhibition offers new perspectives through a chronological and biographical account that addresses themes such as territory, mysticism and magic, earth and creation, nature and humanity, exile and migration. These axes highlight the autobiographical component of the artist and his ability to dialogue with contemporary social and political conflicts. The link between past and present highlights the historical wounds of exile and their resonance today.
The relevance of the figure of Marta Palau, highlighted through curatorial research, has generated tangible results for the recognition and preservation of her legacy in Catalonia. This importance lies in her dual status as an exiled artist and creator capable of building bridges between Mexico and Catalonia, links that become evident in this exhibition which, after passing through Catalonia, is presented in Mexico.
In this sense, the analysis of this diaspora caused by the Franco dictatorship allows, decades later, to recover figures of great relevance for Catalan culture. In the words of Imma Prieto, director of the Tàpies Museum and curator of the exhibition in Mexico: “As a Spanish artist exiled in Mexico, it is important that the work of Marta Palau is recovered for the first time in our context, but also that it is known in the Mexican field. The curatorial thesis is totally innovative, corroborated by Mexican historians, since it arises, in large part, from having had access to his archival material and personal diaries, thanks to the facilities offered by the family. She is definitely a totally unknown artist and therefore it is important to start building the heritage of her legacy.”
Finally, the results of the research and curatorial work surrounding this exhibition are collected in one publication which focuses on the relevance of Marta Palau for the Catalan and Mexican contexts. This book, which includes texts by Imma Prieto, Amanda de la Garza, Rita Eder, Cuauhtémoc Medina, Natalia de la Rosa, Maria Josep Balsach and Lola Jiménez Blanco, is will present the Guadalajara International Book Fair on November 30 at 12.00, in an event that will have institutional representation from the MUAC, the Tàpies Museum and the Ramon Llull Institutewhich underlines the Tàpies Museum’s commitment to international collaboration. This event is framed in the context of Barcelona as the Guest City of Honor at the Guadalajara International Book Fair 2025, one of the most relevant moments for the global literary scene.
On November 14, at 7:00 p.m., Imma Prieto and Amanda de la Garza will hold a joint talk at the Cultural Center of Spain in Mexico, in which they will address the artistic production of Marta Palau as well as the experience of exile and her relationship with Spain.
The Barcelona City Council, the Department of Culture of the Generalitat of Catalonia, the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Spain, Barcelona Cultural and Scientific Capital, the Provincial Council of Barcelona, the Ramon Llull Institute, the AECID, the Spanish Cooperation, the Cultural Center of Spain in Mexico, Acción Cultural Española, GBM, Patronat Muac, Cinco M Dos, Ibero 90.0, IMU Group and ETV collaborate with the exhibition.
