French collector Philippe Méaille withdraws 500 works from MACBA over Catalan instability

French collector Philippe Méaille, owner of the world's largest collection of Art & Language works, has announced he will withdraw 500 pieces on long-term loan to the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA). Méaille cited security concerns due to political instability in Catalonia following the October 1 independence referendum. The decision came days after MACBA publicly condemned police violence during the vote. Méaille stated the move is not political but based on safety of the artworks. The return date is not set but expected soon; works will be relocated to his private Château de Montsoreau-Musée d'Art Contemporain in the Loire Valley. MACBA expressed disappointment, insisting all security standards are met, and noted it had proposed extending the loan before the April 2017 deadline, well before the referendum, but received no response from Méaille. The collection originally came from the Rothschild Bank of Zurich, which acquired it in 1992. Méaille founded his museum in 2016.