this great artist was known for his abstract works that sometimes featured discarded everyday materials and graffiti-like scrawls. other trademarks were crosses, the letter X, to show an unknown factor and the number 4, symbolizing the four elements of nature and the four cardinal points and his initials and his wife (T, A). another distinctive feature was austerity in colour, usually painting with cold, and earthy colours like ochre, brown, gray, beige or black. tàpies also reflected in his work a concern for human problems: disease, death, loneliness, pain or sex. tàpies gave us a new vision of reality and daily life easier.

in the fifties and sixties tàpies created a series of images, usually taken from his immediate environment. his message focuses on the revaluation of what is regarded as low or repulsive. it is not by chance that he often chooses subjects traditionally held to be disagreeable or fetishist, such as a discarded shoe, an armpit or a foot.

in the early eighties, once returned to spain and the years of political struggle had come to an end, tàpies’ interest in canvas took him on renewed strength. at the end of that period catalan artist created the fundació antoni tàpies, 1984, with the aim of promoting the study and knowledge of contemporary art, paying special attention to art’s role in forming the conscience of modern man.

the fundació antoni tàpies takes a plural, interdisciplinary approach and combines the organisation of temporary exhibitions, symposia, lectures and film seasons with a range of publications to go with the activities and periodic shows.

the foundation opened its doors in june 1990 and was restored and refurbished by the architects roser amadó and lluís domènech girbau. the collection of the fundació antoni tàpies consists mostly of the works donated by antoni and his wife teresa tàpies. except some exceptions donated by david k. anderson and daniel lelong.

the works of the last years are, mostly, a reflection on pain - both physical and spiritual - understood as an integral part of life. the passage of time, which has always been a constant in his work, now takes on fresh nuances when lived as a personal experience which brings greater self-knowledge and a clearer understanding of the world around him.
among paintings, sculptures and drawings, books and engravings, the collection has examples of every aspect of tàpies’ artistic output and of the different typologies, techniques and materials he used.

tàpies exhibited his work around the world: at guggenheim museum, in bilbao, at the museum of contemporary art, in new york, the institute of contemporary art and the serpentine in los angeles and hayward galleries, in london; the neue national galerie, in berlin; the kunstahaus, in zurich: the musée d’art moderne de la ville, in paris; the arte reina sofía museum, in madrid and the museu d’art contemporani de barcelona, among many other prestigious institutions. now, with his deade the juan march foundation is studying to create the exhibition of his dreams, however we will have to wait for knowing the details.

his legacy is undoubtedly extensive and extraordinary