The Hyacinthe Rigaud Art Museum in Perpignan is hosting a major retrospective of Joan Miró's work until December 31st, focusing on his pivotal years in Mallorca. Entitled "Joan Miró – Mallorca, the Studio of Dreams," this exhibition brings together nearly one hundred works and explores the profound artistic transformation of the Catalan painter after his permanent move to the Balearic island in 1956. The event is part of the twinning agreement between Perpignan and Palma de Mallorca, to be officially established in 2024, with the support of the Pilar and Joan Miró Foundation, the exhibition's principal lender.
The turning point of Majorca
At 63, Joan Miró moved into a studio designed by the Catalan architect Josep Lluís Sert, in the hills above Palma. This space became a true creative laboratory where the artist questioned his work. He almost completely abandoned painting for several years to experiment with engraving and ceramics, even going so far as to destroy some of his earlier canvases in an act of self-criticism.
The exhibition retraces this pivotal period through paintings, sculptures, drawings, lithographs, and ceramics, highlighting a body of work that evolved towards greater gestural freedom, simplicity, and experimentation. It also shows how Mallorca became a source of inspiration for Miró, where he profoundly renewed his artistic language.
An immersion into the artist's last decades
Spread over nearly 400 m², the exhibition follows Miró's evolution until the end of his life in 1983. It revisits his growing interest in sculpture, assemblages of objects, large formats, graphic works and mixed media, while highlighting the influence of Japanese calligraphy and American abstract expressionism on his later creations.
The museum also highlights the international dimension of his work, while emphasizing his deep connection to Catalan culture. This exhibition opens a new cycle dedicated to major artists linked to the Mediterranean region: after Picasso in 2025, Miró is in the spotlight this year, before a retrospective dedicated to Salvador Dalí in 2027. In the autumn, the artist will also be the subject of another exhibition, Joan Miró. Protest, presented at Les Abattoirs in Toulouse from October 2nd.
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