Valentín Roma Appointed Director of MACBA Barcelona
Valentín Roma, who was removed from his role as chief curator in 2015, has been appointed as the new director of the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA), following the resignation of Elvira Dyangani Ose in April. Roma, chosen from a pool of 21 male candidates, will embark on a five-year term that can be renewed, earning an annual salary of €115,000. His return is perceived as a form of restitution after previously suing MACBA and receiving €50,537 in damages. With a PhD in philosophy from the University of Southampton and a degree in art history from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Roma has also led La Virreina Centre de la Imatge and curated numerous exhibitions. His selection has faced scrutiny regarding the transparency of the process.
Key facts
- Valentín Roma appointed director of MACBA Barcelona on June 25, 2026.
- He was dismissed as chief curator in 2015 after a scandal involving a sculpture of King Juan Carlos.
- Roma replaces Elvira Dyangani Ose, who left in April 2026.
- His five-year term is renewable once for three additional years.
- Annual salary is €115,000 gross.
- Selected unanimously from 21 candidates; four finalists were all male.
- Roma had sued MACBA and received €50,537 in compensation.
- He previously directed La Virreina Centre de la Imatge for nearly ten years.
- He holds a PhD from University of Southampton and a degree from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
- He curated the first Catalan pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
- The museum plans an expansion of its building on Plaça dels Àngels.
- A joint statement from Catalan cultural associations criticized the selection process as lacking transparency.
Entities
Artists
- Valentín Roma
- Elvira Dyangani Ose
- Bartomeu Marí
- Paul B. Preciado
- Manuel Borja-Villej
- Exit Photography Group
- Osvaldo Lamborghini
- Muntadas
- Paula Rego
- Barbara Hammer
- August Sander
- Inés Doujak
- Francesc Torres
- Joan Anton Maragall
- Ines Doujak
- John Barker
- Anna Vallès
- Antoni Muntadas
Institutions
- MACBA
- Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona
- Abu Dhabi Public Art Biennale
- La Virreina Centre de la Imatge
- Fundació Tàpies
- Reina Sofía
- Museu Picasso Barcelona
- Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
- CaixaForum
- Venice Biennale
- University of Southampton
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
- Le Journal des Arts
- Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA)
- Consorci del MACBA
- La Virreina Centre d'Art
- Círculo de Bellas Artes
- Instituto de Cultura de Barcelona
- Secretaría General de Cultura
- Fundación MACBA
- Dirección General de Patrimonio Cultural y Bellas Artes
- Fundación Sorigué
- Fundació Joan Miró
- Sala Parés
- ArtBarcelona
- masdearte
- Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA)
- Consell General del Consorci
- Winchester School of Art
- Bienal de Venecia
- Associació Catalana de Crítica d’Art (ACCA)
- Plataforma Assembleària d’Artistes de Catalunya (PAAC)
- Associació de Professionals de la Gestió Cultural de Catalunya (APGCC)
- exibart.es
Locations
- Barcelona
- Spain
- Abu Dhabi
- United Arab Emirates
- La Rambla
- Plaça dels Àngels
- Madrid
- Venice
- Italy
- Southampton
- United Kingdom
- Ripollet