MACBA, Barcelona

Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona

I went to the MACBA, disappointing myself yet again at the ticket counter. I was close this time - if she'd only spoken slower and not so quickly switched to English upon seeing my stutter, I'd have had it.

My [worthless] travel guide discounted this museum, suggesting to only go if you're able to "make some socio-political meaning from, say, a room of beach balls." My expectations low, the art was modern and well-crafted.

I was inspired by this trio of paintings by Romanian Pic Adrian:

I'd never seen this narrative by Ed Ruscha before. He photographed every building along the Sunset Strip in LA and pieced them together proportionately in montage with address markers.

Other interesting type artifacts:

In a pitch-black room screening a nearly black film-reel, I met a Lebanese architect. We were both attempting in futile to use our digital cameras as flashlights and not run into anything. We finally found a bench and watched the silent short: macro views of metal appliances, or something. From there, we walked the museum together, he on pilgrimage to see Richard Meier's architecture, me to see weird art that usually doesn't make sense. He scolded me in the hallways on the Meier's brilliance in column technique; I'd roll my eyes and show him how it was possible to make an entire alphabet using a few simple forms. We compromised on Form and Space, then we went our separate ways.