In Real Time. Rafael Tous Collection of Conceptual Art

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Image courtesy of MACBA.

The Rafael Tous Collection constitutes the most important group of conceptual art works in the country. Comprising almost one thousand pieces, it brings together works by around thirty of the most prominent artists of the seventies and eighties from Catalunya and the rest of Spain.

Linked to the textile world, Rafael Tous (Barcelona, 1940) has been a life-long collector of art. He began acquiring Impressionist works in his youth, but by 1970 he had begun collecting artists of his own generation with whom he developed close friendships. His collection grew out of visits to the artists’ studios, as well as the exhibitions at Galeria G, Sala Vinçon, Espai 13 of the Fundació Joan Miró and the university space at the Universitat Autònoma, Barcelona.

The Rafael Tous Collection is built on complicity and proximity. It is the result of intense friendships with, and a firm commitment to, a generation of creators to whom he has lent his support over the years. To a large extent, the radical approaches of this generation were made possible by the backing of people like Rafael Tous, who believed in their work with loyalty and enthusiasm. In so doing, he became a key agent for the development and consolidation of the Conceptual generation, while leading the way for the future of art in Catalunya.

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