Manuel Borja-Villel on Reina Sofía's 20th: A Model Museum
Since January 2008, Manuel Borja-Villel has served as the director of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. In an interview with Bernard Blistène, he shares his aspirations for the museum as it celebrates its 20th anniversary. His goal is to position Reina Sofía as a leading institution through innovative collection displays, comprehensive programming, and educational initiatives, while opposing elitism. Drawing inspiration from Marxist theorists, he views the museum as a platform for challenging ideological structures and fostering collaboration among institutions. He references exhibitions such as "Atlas: How to Carry the World on One's Back?" along with showcases featuring Thomas Schütte and Deimantas Narkevicius. Borja-Villel also discusses his intention to "defetishize" Picasso's "Guernica." This interview appeared in artpress in 2010, accompanied by a list of exhibitions from 2010 to 2012.
Key facts
- Manuel Borja-Villel became director of Reina Sofía in January 2008.
- The interview was conducted by Bernard Blistène of Centre Pompidou.
- Borja-Villel previously directed Fundació Tàpies and MACBA Barcelona.
- He cites Marxist thinkers Gramsci, Althusser, Negri, Wallerstein, Fanon, and Judith Butler.
- He aims to make the museum a performative space challenging ideological apparatuses.
- Exhibition 'Atlas: How to Carry the World on One's Back?' was co-organized with Georges Didi-Huberman.
- Borja-Villel worked with artist Pedro G. Romero on iconoclasm.
- He seeks to 'defetishize' Picasso's Guernica while respecting its importance.
- The museum's collection rehang moved away from the MoMA model.
- Upcoming exhibitions included Jessica Stockholder, Hans Peter Feldmann, and Yayoi Kusama.
Entities
Artists
- Manuel Borja-Villel
- Bernard Blistène
- Georges Didi-Huberman
- Pedro G. Romero
- Marcel Broodthaers
- Hans Haacke
- Dora Garcia
- Mario Garcia Torrès
- Thomas Schütte
- Deimantas Narkevicius
- James Coleman
- Jacques Rancière
- René Schérer
- Lynne Cook
- Judith Butler
- William Rubin
- Öyvind Fahlström
- Hélio Oiticica
- Pablo Picasso
- Aby Warburg
- Ludwig Wittgenstein
- Louis Althusser
- Antonio Gramsci
- Michael Hardt
- Antonio Negri
- Immanuel Wallerstein
- Frantz Fanon
- Jessica Stockholder
- Hans Peter Feldmann
- Val del Omar
- Jean-Luc Mylayne
- Mirosław Balka
- Margreiter
- Jacoby
- Soledad Sevilla
- Elena Asins
- Leonor Antunes
- Leon Golub
- Yayoi Kusama
- James Castle
- Lygia Pape
- Rodney Graham
- Efrén Álvarez
- Alighiero e Boetti
- Antoni Muntadas
- René Daniels
- Sharon Hayes
Institutions
- Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
- Centre Pompidou
- Fundació Antoni Tàpies
- MACBA Barcelona
- MoMA New York
- artpress
Locations
- Madrid
- Spain
- North Africa
- Latin America
- New York
- United States
- Barcelona
Sources
- artpress —