Fundació Joan Miró opens a major exhibition tomorrow exploring the Catalan artist’s relationship with America. Miró and the United States features 138 works including pieces by Louise Bourgeois, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko.
The show runs until 22 February 2026. It forms part of the foundation’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Director Marko Daniel calls it “an unprecedented vision” of Miró’s work and his dialogue with American artists.
“It’s a great opportunity to discover works and artists who marked the 20th century,” Daniel explained at yesterday’s press conference. Moreover, visitors can explore how Miró profoundly influenced these artists’ work.
Miró’s American dream
Whilst Miró is typically viewed through a Paris-centric lens, this exhibition focuses on his postwar American years. His artistic output connected with figures like Louise Bourgeois, Helen Frankenthaler, Lee Krasner, Arshile Gorky, Alice Trumbull Mason, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko.
Daniel noted these American stays represented Miró’s dream. They meant entering a context of possibilities, freedom, democracy, and hope. This contrasted sharply with the European situation generally and Spain’s specifically after the Civil War.
Miró built relationships with artists, writers, collectors, and musicians. He didn’t just trace an artistic path but created a map of shared understanding and exchanges that positioned his work in a truly global context.
Architectural integration
Co-curator Matthew Gale emphasised understanding how Miró gained international admiration. Despite not speaking English, the Catalan artist forged a network of friendships where he wielded profound influence.
Fellow curator Dolors Rodríguez Roig highlighted the importance of Josep Lluís Sert’s architectural spaces. The architect designed the centre considering which works would inhabit each room. “The perspectives and vanishing points helped us connect artists and rooms,” she explained.
Notable placements include rooms 3 and 8, far apart physically, creating dialogue between Louise Bourgeois, Maya Deren, and Lee Krasner. Jeanne Reynal’s pieces sit in a Miró-Sert space designed for viewing sculptures from all angles. One of Miró’s Constellations hangs between works by Krasner and Pollock, offering fresh perspectives.
The exhibition, sponsored primarily by Fundación BBVA, includes a catalogue available in Catalan, Spanish, and English.
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