The exhibition Marta Palau My ways are earthly begins its journey outside the Catalan territory with the objective of highlighting the figure of Marta Palau (Albesa, Lleida, 1934 – Ciudad de México, 2022), artist exiled in Mexico due to the Franco dictatorship. Curated by Imma Prietodirector of the Tàpies Museum, together with the exhibition conceptualization of Amanda de la GarzaDeputy Artistic Director of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, the exhibition opens at the MUAC UNAM de México 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 productions from the end 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 her capacity to dialogue with contemporary social and political conflicts. The link between past and present highlights the historical wounds of exile and its resonance today.
The relevance of the figure of Marta Palau, revealed through curatorial research, has generated tangible results for the recognition and preservation of her legacy in Catalonia. This importance lies in her double status as an exiled artist and creator capable of building bridges between Mexico and Catalonia, links that become evident in this sample that 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 to Catalan culture. In the words of Imma Prieto, about 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 environment. The curatorial thesis is totally innovative, corroborated by Mexican historians, since it arises, in large part, from having had access to his archival material, such as personal diaries, thanks to the facilities that the family has offered us“.
Without a doubt, she is a totally unknown artist and, therefore, it is important to start creating a heritage of her legacy.
Finally, the results of the research and curatorial work around this exhibition are collected in a publication which focuses on the relevance of Marta Palau for the Catalan and Mexican contexts. The book, which includes texts by Imma Prieto, Amanda de la Garxa, Rita Eder, Cuauhtémoc Medina, Natalia de la Rosa, Maria Josep Balsach and Lola Jiménz Blanco, will be presented on November 30 at 12:00 p.m. at the Guadalajara International Book Fair, in an event that will be represented by the MUAC, the Tàpies Museum and the Ramon Llull Instituteand which underlines the Tàpies Museum’s commitment to international collaboration. This event is part of the context of Barcelona as the Guest City of Honor at the Guadalajara International Book Fair 2025, one of the most relevant events in the world literary scene.
The days prior to the inauguration, November 10, 11 and 14, from 11.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m., are dedicated to the attention of the media, offering the possibility of conducting interviews with those responsible for the project. On November 14 at 7:00 p.m., to celebrate the importance of this milestone, Imma Prieto and Amanda de la Garza will hold a joint talk at the Cultural Center of Spain in Mexico, with which to approach the artistic production of Marta Palau in its connection with the experience of exile and its relationship with Spain.
In collaboration with Barcelona City Council, Department of Culture of the Government of Catalonia, Ministerio de Cultura Gobierno de España, Barcelona Cultural and Scientific Capital, Barcelona Provincial Council, Institut Ramón Llull, AECID, Cooperación Española, Centro Cultural de España en México, Acción Cultural Española, GBM, Patronato Muac, Cinco M Dos, Ibero 90.0, Grupo IMU, ETV.
