A New Museum for Barcelona 69 FIG. 8 (above): Pectoral, rei miro. Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Wood, obsidian. L: 30 cm. MCMB, Folch Collection, MEB CF 4792. © MCMB. Photo: Jordi Puig. FIG. 9 (right): Divination book, pustaha. Karo Batak, Sumatra, Indonesia. Beaten bark, wood, pigment. H: 31.5 cm. MCMB, Folch Collection, MEB CF 4527. © MCMB. Photo: Jordi Puig. including that of the Fundació Arqueològica Clos, which contributed loans of thirty-seven Pre-Columbian works, and the archaeological Foundation Duran Vall-Llosera, which loaned nineteen items: four Pre-Columbian works and fifteen Korean ceramics dating from the fourth to the sixteenth centuries. Given all this, the MCMB’s holdings are varied and decidedly Barcelonan, and the museum hopes to continue to bolster its collection by securing long-term loans from other institutions. It has already formed a relationship with the University of Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, which has lent several significant works (including one object from Cook’s second voyage) for installation in the two vitrines that are permanently dedicated to Polynesia. A New Approach Working under the direction of Lluís Alay, director of patrimony at Barcelona’s Institut de Cultura, the MCMB’s staff has not been limited by the fact that the museum’s holdings are largely locally sourced and relatively modest compared with those of other major European and American institutions. Though admittedly challenging, this in no way diminished their interest in the project. Indeed, because of this, they have taken an innovative approach in the presentation of these objects. Numerous international specialists have contributed comprehensive studies, and these have made it possible to identify a core group of important, high-quality pieces that serve as the cornerstone of the permanent display. Following an approach that, depending on the section, is either thematic or chronological but also makes comparative analyses, the installation always places man—whether the creator, user, or contemporary viewer of the objects— at the center of its discourse. The result is a visual and reflective window into the diversity of culture and aesthetics the world over that emerges from the influence of recent presentations by major European museums. This approach is punctuated by the inclusion of a number of masterpieces that most visitors probably would not guess exist in Barcelona. Benin bronzes, an Easter Island rei miro pectoral formerly in the Tristan Tzara Collection, and a fasting Buddha from Gandhara, India, are just a few of these pieces worthy of mention. Tribal art enthusiasts should certainly consider a visit to Barcelona to discover and savor these and other artworks. Those who wish to follow the museum’s activities from afar can follow the MCMB’s Twitter feed (https://twitter.com/mculturesmon), on which it actively shares information and makes exemplary use of this social network’s potential as a platform for communication.
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