Marcel Broodthaers 14

This painting belongs to “The Paintings Section From Davis Museum Barcelona,” the only section within this innovative mini museum where artworks are available for sale. The «Davis Museum Barcelona» is a unique artistic project, conceived as a total artwork: a portable museum founded symbolically in a ballot box and promoted via social media. It transcends physical boundaries, serving as a digital archive, an artistic collective, a nonprofit initiative, and a cultural entity officially recognized by the Generalitat de Catalunya.

The museum aligns with a narrative in art history focused on artists creating their own conceptual and exhibition spaces, such as Marcel Duchamp’s “Boîte-en-valise” (1935–1941), Robert Filliou’s “Galerie Légitime” (1962–1968), and Marcel Broodthaers’s “Musée d’Art Moderne, Département des Aigles” (1968–1972). “The Paintings Section” features portraits of these artists and representations of their creations, forming a visual homage to these pioneers of contemporary art.

Conceptually, the painting draws inspiration from a 1969 photograph by Maria Gilissen, Marcel Broodthaers’s wife, depicting the artist wearing a fake nose in front of a Belgian art transport truck during the filming of Un Voyage à Waterloo (Napoléon 1769–1969). This image, full of irony and theatricality, captures Broodthaers’s subversive spirit and serves as the conceptual starting point.

Formally, the work references the luminous palette of British Pop Art, particularly David Hockney. However, it introduces an experimental twist: the artist has dragged a plastic sheet across the wet paint, creating veils and textures reminiscent of Gerhard Richter’s abstractions. This technique softens contours and imparts an unusual, vibrant texture, inviting the viewer into a sensory and contemplative experience.