The Museum of Prohibited Art

A News Response Poem

I enter the museum
Cold marble and spiral staircases
I stand in line, silently
And hand my ticket to a young woman
wearing a white T-shirt with red lettering
that says Always Never
I have come to see the things 
you cannot see
Someone decided what was acceptable 
and unacceptable 
An exhibit of political prisoners 
With their faces blocked
Disasters of war
Capitalist mascots hanging 
On crucifixes 
Questions of ownership and love
Sex and reproduction 
Sweat forms on my brow 
Will they defile my thoughts 
Provoke awareness 
Open my mind 
Show me reality 
Or possibility or nothing at all

I walk up the steps of the library
Past the lions
Into the echoing foyer
Anticipation in my breath
Where are books I cannot read 
Someone has decided for me 
If they are acceptable or unacceptable 
Stories of loss or love
Of life through a lens 
Not my own
Of a period in time defined 
As questionable 
Will they cause depravity
Or teach me to think
I remember coming here as a child
Sorting through stacks
Running my finger over spines
Wondering what world
I would discover 
The emptiness on the shelves fills me

I walk across campus
Cold wind stinging my face
I look at the grand buildings
The vast lawns covered with snow
What discoveries were sparked here
By wandering minds
And time and space and freedom
Computing and AI and food safety
Music and dance and art 
That cannot be shown
I put my hand in my pocket
And feel a piece of crumpled paper
Here is my list
Of what is acceptable and unacceptable 
I can decide for myself 
But I am careful on the icy sidewalk

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Author’s Note: Today I learned of The Museum of Prohibited Art in Barcelona and wrote this poem.

Here is their manifesto and the link to their site:

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.

The collection was initiated by journalist and entrepreneur Tatxo Benet, (Lleida, 1957), with the artwork Presos Políticos en la España Contemporánea (Political Prisoners in Contemporary Spain) by Santiago Sierra. This piece was removed from ARCO in 2018 and is currently on loan to the Museum of Lleida, where it is available for public viewing. Since then, Tatxo Benet has continuously expanded and strengthened the collection, ensuring its accessibility to visitors. As a founding member of the audiovisual group Mediapro, Tatxo Benet is also the driving force behind various cultural projects, including the Ona bookshop on Pau Claris and the Suma Llibres publishing group.

https://www.museuartprohibit.org/en/museum/collection

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