The audacity of the Baroque The enigmatic smiles of Juan Muñoz
For those who know the work in the MACBA Collection, the questions asked by Juan Muñoz’s large-scale installation still remain unanswered. And if you are not familiar with it, that’s a good reason to visit the exhibition of the Collection. Against all evidence to the contrary, the audacity of the Baroque in suggesting that life can be a dream was one of Muñoz's favourite subjects. Among his most notable works, the four human figures holding a dialogue in the MACBA galleries, with their disturbing smiles and oriental features, offer a contemporary revision of the already classic theme of the Baroque. Situated before an immense canvas backdrop depicting meticulously painted trompe-l’oeil curtains, the title of the work sums up his thesis: ‘The nature of visual illusion.’ Enigma, irony, philosophy and theatricality for times of uncertainty.
