Renowned Mallorcan artist Miquel Barceló is exhibiting approximately 30 recent engravings and three artist books at the Artur Ramon Gallery in Barcelona, marking his first gallery show in the city since 1990. The graphic works were created at Joan Roma's workshop in Barcelona between 2010 and 2026. The exhibition, titled “Miquel Barceló. Engravings from Barcelona. 2010-2026,” will run until 9 October.
Barceló explained his long absence from Barcelona galleries, attributing it to extensive global travel, major projects, the death of his gallerist Salvador Riera in 1994, and a lack of invitations from other gallerists. He also stated that he prefers painting to exhibiting, according to reports.
The exhibition opened on 11 June, the same day Pope Leo XIV concluded his visit to Barcelona. Barceló told reporters he arrived in the city that morning solely for the exhibition and knew no more about the Sagrada Família than what was reported in the press. Barceló is one of three artists who have submitted proposals for the Sagrada Família's final Glory Façade, alongside Cristina Iglesias and Mexican artist Javier Marín. While an announcement of the chosen artist was expected in June, it is now anticipated in the autumn.
Barceló's Approach to Engraving
During a press conference at the Artur Ramon Gallery, Barceló, born in Felanitx, Mallorca, in 1957, discussed his recent engravings. He views engraving as a form of painting rather than serial reproduction. “Engraving is a form of painting. I am not very interested in editions. That is why the print runs of my engravings are always tiny. If I could, I would only make one,” he said. He added, “Engraving is the opposite of digital printing. It always has relief, always has volume. It is its physicality that I like, like ceramics. It has something definitive about it.” Barceló also noted that engravings made in Paris differ from those made in Barcelona, with each workshop imparting a unique character to the works.
Barceló created his first engravings, using drypoint and collage, at Joan Miró's workshop in Mallorca in 1983, the year Miró died. He also worked on engravings in Paris. In Barcelona, he has collaborated exclusively with Joan Roma's workshop since the beginning. Roma is recognised as one of Catalonia's most reputable engravers, having worked extensively with Antoni Tàpies, among other artists. Barceló began working with Roma in 2012, two years before Tàpies' death, effectively succeeding him.
“Enrique Juncosa introduced us, we met and got along immediately. He is a great bibliophile, has lived in Cairo, he is eccentric,” Barceló explained. “In Barcelona, I have only worked on engraving with him. Mainly in two periods, 2010-2012 and 2024-2026, although Joan Roma has continued to dedicate himself to my engravings for these fifteen years. And he has only done that. These engravings are not commissions, I have made them for the interest of making them, and I have made them in Joan Roma's own workshop.”
Unseen Works and Diverse Techniques
The 35 Barcelona-made engravings on display represent half of Barceló's production during these years. A book compiling these works is also being prepared. All engravings are previously unseen, with the exception of some from the 2015 series Lletraferits (Literati), which were exhibited at the National Library of France and in Prague. The Lletraferits series features portraits of writers from different eras who have influenced him. The Artur Ramon Gallery exhibition includes portraits of Miquel Bauçà, Joan Vinyoli, Gérard de Nerval, Dylan Thomas, Vladimir Nabokov, José Lezama Lima, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Antonio Gamoneda.
Barceló has used various techniques, including woodcut (engraving on wood and Formica), drypoint (working directly on the plate), etching (with acid), aquatint, and direct acid. Recurring themes include marine elements, a characteristic of his work, featuring striking octopuses created with a chainsaw. Other subjects include African landscapes, vanitas with matches, vegetable still lifes, plants and animals, and unusual images such as a polar bear's skin, along with three self-portraits.
Artist Books and Future Projects
The exhibition also features three artist books containing engravings, two of which were created in 2026. Dins la panxa del bou (Inside the Bull's Belly) includes eight engravings of felines, each made with a different technique. The book is presented in a box lined with gut, inspiring its title. The other book, Sobre la apariencia de las cosas (On the Appearance of Things), features poems by Enrique Juncosa, Barceló's friend since adolescence and the curator of this exhibition. It contains three engravings and has a limited edition of 30 copies. Finally, El bestiari de Guillaume Apollinaire (Guillaume Apollinaire's Bestiary), published in Paris by Yvon Lambert in 2025, is also on display.
A series of photographs by Jean Marie del Moral, capturing Barceló working in his studio, complements the engraving exhibition. Barceló has completed the drawings for the large tapestries that will adorn the reconstructed Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which are currently being woven. He awaits the Sagrada Família committees' decision on the artist who will create the Glory Façade. Barceló's ceramic-based project for the façade could occupy him for the next 15 years.
