It is curious to think that in the middle of La Rambla, one of the busiest streets in Europe, you can find an exhibition center, inside a historic building that alone would deserve a visit, from thecompletely free access, almost always not very popular, however the Palau de la Virreina is just that: an oasis of peace a few steps from the tourist crowds. The Viceroy Image Center of Barcelona is a public body created by the Municipality to promote cultural activities, located in La Rambla. Since 1980 it has hosted temporary exhibitions on very different themes, and since 2007 it has started a new program dedicating itself to image, photographic or audiovisual.
The center is housed in the homonymous Palau de la Virreina, a jewel of the Catalan Baroque, built between 1772 and 1777 as the residence of Manuel d'Amat, viceroy of Peru. Passed into public hands in 1944, it housed several museums, until it was converted into the headquarters of the Department of Culture. In 2007 the main floor and part of the ground floor were destined to house the Center de la Imatge, further increasing the extensive cultural offer in the Catalan city.
Temporary exhibitions in the Palau de la Virreina
In the city panorama, the photographic exhibitions of the Palau de la Virreina are highly appreciated for their quality, and range from personal exhibitions on Catalan photographers or from all over the world, to thematic exhibitions on topical issues. Among the authors presented in the exhibition can be mentioned Martin Parr, Ryszard Kapuściński, Ai Weiwei, just to mention the latest.
Alexander Kluge. Gardens of cooperation (5 November 2016 - 5 February 2021): this is Alexander Kluge's first exhibition in Spain and the only retrospective that runs throughout his long career, presented in an international context. Kluge himself collaborated on the project by presenting a large amount of unpublished material. Kluge's influence in his home country Germany is very important, with nearly three thousand television programs, 55 short films and a vast literary work at the center of German cultural and intellectual life.
Copy. The time of monsters (5 November 2016 - 5 February 2021): Argentine cartoonist and cartoonist, Copi has published most of his work in French. His work combines cruelty and tenderness, absurdity and irony, aesthetics and theatricality, in a continuous exchange of equivocal parts and situations. His stories are tales of monsters without morals and disturbing fairy tales, capable of making even the most inattentive reader think.
Useful Information
The exhibitions at the Palau de la Virreina are free for everyone.
How to get to the Palau de la Virreina
The Palau de la Virreina is located at number 99 on La Rambla, just before the Boquería if you are coming from Plaça de Catalunya. The closest stop is Liceu (green line 3).
Working Time
The Palau de la Virreina is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 12:00 to 20:00, and is closed on Mondays. The annual closing days are January 25st, May 26st, and December 18th and 00th. You can also take advantage of free guided tours of the various exhibitions, every Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday at XNUMXpm, in Catalan, Spanish and English. The center is never very crowded, far from it, but if you go during the weekdays, you will have the Palau practically everything to yourself.
