The Museu de l’Art Prohibit in Barcelona quickly became one of the city’s most provocative and talkedabout cultural institutions. Praised by visitors as thoughtprovoking and daring, yet entangled in labor disputes and ultimately facing closure, the museum’s brief lifespan left many wondering about its legacy. Known in English as the Museum of Forbidden Art, it presented artworks censored for political, religious, social, or moral reasons, sparking strong reactions from curious patrons and critics alike.
What Is the Museu de l’Art Prohibit?
Founded in October 2023 by journalist and collector Tatxo Benet, the Museu de l’Art Prohibit showcased more than 200 works by artists who had faced censorship. It was housed in the historic Casa Garriga Nogués, a Modernista building in Barcelona. On exhibit were pieces by names like Picasso, Warhol, Goya, Ai Weiwei, Banksy, Gustav Klimt, Robert Mapplethorpe, Tania Bruguera, and Miquel Barceló works removed or banned from mainstream galleries for their controversial or confrontational content
The Mission of Forbidden Art
The museum’s defining concept was bold: to reclaim artworks that had been silenced and provide a platform for freedom of expression. Each piece was accompanied by a QR-based digital guide explaining why it had been censored and inviting visitors to consider broader themes such as artistic freedom, tolerance, and power
Visitor Reviews and Public Perception
General visitor feedback was largely positive. With an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 across platforms like Tripadvisor, guests described the museum as powerful, intellectually stimulating, and unlike any typical art museum
- One reviewer called it fascinating but warned it’s best suited for visitors with an open mind, given the provocative themes in the exhibits
- Another described it as ‘the most important art museum in the world,’ praising its preservation of politically and socially censored works by seminal artists
- Some noted that while the historical accounts and censorship contexts were helpful, they wished for deeper interpretive explanations beyond reactions to the ban
Conde Nast Traveler highlighted the museum’s value for provoking dialogue, though it recommended against taking young children due to explicit imagery and sensitive political content. The building itself an architecturally rich Modernista townhouse was noted for enhancing the experience
Highlights of Notable Works
Artworks included:
- Czech David Äerny’s sculpture Shark, depicting Saddam Hussein in a tank-straddled sculpture reminiscent of Damien Hirst
- Always Franco, by Eugenio Merino, showing Spain’s dictator enclosed in a Coca-Cola fridge
- Zoya Falkova’s punching-bag shaped female torso, addressing physical violence against women
- Photographs and installations by Ai Weiwei, Mapplethorpe, and others exploring religious, sexual, or political taboos
These works had been removed from other venues, banned by governments, or criticized publicly each story fueling the museum’s narrative on censorship and contested freedoms.
The Downfall: Closure Amid Labor Strikes
Despite its cultural relevance, the Museu de l’Art Prohibit closed indefinitely on June 27, 2025, after just 20 months of operation. The closure followed a four-month labor strike led by the SUT union, which protested working conditions for staff employed through subcontractors
Conflict Over Labor Conditions
The strike began after the museum terminated a contract with MagmaCultura, a company that supplied frontofhouse staff. Workers and unions demanded basic rights like climatecontrolled workspaces, ergonomic seating, scheduled breaks, and adequate staffing during weekends. They also called for inhouse employment rather than outsourced contracts
Financial Collapse and Politicization
Museum management cited dramatic revenue drops 75% lower compared to the previous year and a 95% shortfall from growth projections as reasons for closing. They accused the protesters of coercion and damaging the museum’s operation. The union countered that the closure was a premeditated strategy to dissolve worker dissent, branding it hypocritical for an institution championing free speech to suppress staff rights
Legacy and Moving Forward
Although the physical museum has shut its doors, plans are underway to turn the collection into a traveling exhibition. Conceived to continue promoting dialogue on forbidden art, the nomadic version has already been censored during its first planned exhibition in Andorra
The closure has raised broader questions about authenticity, institutional integrity, and what it means for a museum that defended censored art to come under criticism for internal censorship of protest. Critics saw the conflict as emblematic: a museum focused on freedom of expression became embroiled in undermining its own employees’ voices
Institutional Irony
The museum’s mission to challenge censorship was ironically overshadowed by a labor dispute criticized for denying workers’ basic rights. This paradox undermined its credibility and highlighted tensions between ideals and labor realities in cultural institutions
Visitors’ Reflections and Cultural Impact
For cultural tourists, critics, and freedom-of-expression advocates, the Museu de l’Art Prohibit stood out as intensely compelling. Whether admired or discomforting, visitors left with deeper awareness of artistic suppression and the societal values that regulate expression. Some saw the museum as an alternative to institutional museums, capable of displaying politically edgy art outside conventional censorship limits
The Museu de l’Art Prohibit earned praise for bringing controversial, banned, and silenced art to public view, challenging visitors to confront censorship and question societal norms. Reviews emphasized its powerful collection, engaging context, and immersive location in a historic Modernista building. Yet labor controversy and accusations of hypocrisy led to its demise, raising complex questions about institutional values and worker rights.
Although its doors have closed, the legacy of the Museu de l’Art Prohibit endures highlighting how freedom of expression extends beyond artworks to include those who sustain the institution. As its collection transitions toward an itinerant future, its story remains a compelling chapter in the ongoing struggle over art, power, and speech.