Gonçal Sobrer retrospective at Can Framis examines radical Catalan artist's six-decade career

A major retrospective titled 'Un gran fracaso' at Barcelona's Can Framis museum presents nearly 200 works by Catalan artist Gonçal Sobrer, born in Barcelona in 1932. Curated by Pere Pedrals, the exhibition spans Sobrer's production from the 1960s to the present, with particular focus on his output from the last three decades. Sobrer's practice incorporates painting, objects, installations, happenings, performances, theater, photography, and film to articulate political critique, often rooted in his Poblenou neighborhood. The show deliberately blurs boundaries between documentation and artwork, featuring many previously unseen or little-known pieces. Bernat Puigdollers, artistic director of Fundació Vila Casas, expressed pride in championing Sobrer's figure and connecting with Poblenou through his work. Sobrer's artistic approach embraces personal failure as a liberating strategy to critique collective societal failures, operating outside market trends and fashion. His neighborhood of Poblenou serves as both recurring setting and potent political metaphor where local concerns achieve universal resonance. The exhibition runs through May 31 at Can Framis in Barcelona, organized by Fundació Vila Casas.