Afortunadamente, la mayor pesadilla de Joan Miró nunca se hizo realidad. No hay rascacielos que rodeen el legado del artista. No hay una bola de demolición que destruya su taller Son Boter. Al contrario, los espacios creativos parecen haber sido dejados por el maestro hace solo unos minutos. Así lo deseaba Miró, y en vida hizo mucho para asegurarlo.
The world-famous painter donated four of his studios to the city of Palma, along with numerous works. In 1981, the Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró was established, and two years later, the genius passed away. In 1986, his widow Pilar auctioned 39 gouaches and three oil paintings at Sotheby’s in Madrid and donated the proceeds for the construction of the foundation’s headquarters.
In 1987, Rafael Moneo, dean of the Graduate School of Design at Harvard, was commissioned to design the new building on the grounds of Son Boter and Son Abrines. Moneo was a direct student of Josep Lluis Sert, a close friend of Miró and architect of the Sert Studio. His mentor successfully reflected the painter’s philosophy in the architecture: respect for the environment, typical Mediterranean materials and techniques, and primary colors. Moneo also perfectly aligned his architecture with the artist’s work.
In the Sala de las Estrellas, Moneo avoided any form of repetition, mass production, or parallelism. In line with Miró’s objects, every part of the space had to be unique. With its 600 square meters, the Sala de las Estrellas is the largest exhibition space in the foundation and houses the permanent exhibition. In 1992, Moneo’s new building complex was inaugurated, opening the foundation to the public. Since then, Miró’s original studios have also been available for visitors to explore.
At Son Boter, you can see the charcoal drawings “Graffiti” and sketches of sculptures. The artist used this 17th-century Mallorcan property, in a rustic style, as a second painting studio, primarily for large-format works. At Miró’s express wish, some of the studios are used for training new artists. The Son Abrines property is now in private hands.
It was the permanent residence of the Miró family from 1958, built by Pilar’s brother, the architect Enric Juncosa. The dynamic between the old and new buildings inspired Moneo’s garden concept, whose main elements are running water and traditional plants. Naturally, Miró’s works are also a central focus outdoors.
Other Facilities of the Foundation
- Auditorium: The video “Miró, the Light of Mallorca” is shown daily. The film lasts about 50 minutes.
- Library: The collection is specialized in Joan Miró and modern art. More than 11,000 documents are available to the public, with free entry.
- Temporary Exhibition Room: On a 110-square-meter space, works by other artists, mainly representatives of contemporary avant-garde art, are exhibited.
- Cafeteria: The main attraction, in addition to Mallorcan delicacies, is the ceramic mural created by Joan Gardy Artigas.
- The visit to all areas, except Son Boter and Miró’s studios, is wheelchair accessible.
Address:
Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró a Mallorca
C. Joan de Saridakis, 29
07015 Palma de Mallorca
Phone: 34-971-701420
Mail: info@miromallorca.com
Website: https://miromallorca.com
Map and direction:
How to get there:
EMT buses, lines 3, 4, and 21.
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