The Museu de l’Art Prohibit collection brings together over 200 artworks that have been censored, prohibited or denounced due to political, social or religious reasons. The collection comprises a diverse range of artworks, including paintings, sculptures, engravings, photographs, installations and audiovisual pieces, largely created during the second half of the 20th century and throughout the 21st century. They collectively represent numerous cases that have often transcended into mainstream media and social networks.
Among the collection are works by internationally acclaimed artists such as Ai Weiwei, Robert Mapplethorpe and Tania Bruguera. It also includes iconic pieces from the history of contemporary art, such as León Ferrari’s Western and Christian Civilization and Andrés Serrano’s Piss Christ, both of which have long been at the centre of contentious debates. Additionally, it includes creations by figures like Pablo Picasso, Francisco de Goya and Gustav Klimt—artists who haven’t been immune to acts of censorship. Collectively, the numerous works that comprise this collection traverse a timeline stretching from the Enlightenment period to the neoliberal societies of today, spanning from the 18th to the 21st century.