Moco Museum Barcelona houses two permanent exhibitions of art by such legends of the late-twentieth century as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Andy Warhol, as well as popular contemporary artists like Kehinde Wiley, KAWS, Takashi Murakami, Yayoi Kusama, and Marina Abramović. Moco Museum Barcelona also hosts rotating temporary exhibits on various contemporary art-world themes throughout the year. It’s located only a couple blocks from other popular Barcelona attractions like the Picasso Museum, Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar, Museu Europeu d’Art Modern, and the Museu Etnològic i de Cultures del Món.
History of the Moco Museum Barcelona
The Moco Museum—short for the “Modern Contemporary Museum”—is an international brand of private art museums with locations in Amsterdam, Barcelona, and London. Moco Museum Amsterdam first opened its doors to the public in 2016, taking up a prominent location on the city’s iconic Museumplein right next door to the Van Gogh Museum and only steps from Stedelijk Museum and the legendary Rijksmuseum. Following its success in Amsterdam, the company decided to open a branch in Barcelona in the fall of 2021. A London location was also established in 2024.
Moco Museum Barcelona is located within the historic Palacio Cervelló, an architectural marvel that dates to the sixteenth century. This striking structure—which contains flourishes of architectural styles as diverse as Gothic and Late Renaissance across its various features—makes for a remarkable setting in which to view the contrasting achievements of some of contemporary art’s greatest figures.
Moco Museum Barcelona Highlights
Moco Museum Barcelona is home to a pair of permanent exhibitions. Modern Masters is the museum’s signature collection; with pieces by Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Yayoi Kusama, and Andy Warhol, it showcases work by some of the biggest names from the past half-century of art history. Contemporary Masters is Moco Museum Barcelona’s other ongoing exhibit; within its galleries you’ll encounter Miracle 3 by Marina Abramović, as well as selected pieces by acclaimed contemporary artists like Kehinde Wiley, Damien Hirst, and Takashi Murakami, just to name a few.
While Moco Museum Barcelona’s burgeoning collection is constantly growing and evolving—not all advertised artworks are necessarily on-view at all times—the institution more often than not also has work on display by such significant contemporary artists as David LaChappelle, Ben Eine, Mungo Thomson, and Banksy. The popular artist KAWS has his own dedicated room here, too.
On several occasions throughout the year, Moco Museum Barcelona hosts a variety of special events and exhibitions that might prove worth your time. By their very nature, these are ever-rotating and subject to change; for more information, be sure and check out the official website of Moco Museum Barcelona in advance of your visit.
More to See and Do at Moco Museum Barcelona
Since the first Moco Museum opened its doors in Amsterdam in 2016, the brand has made quite the splash in the world of contemporary art. Art lovers with an eye toward getting the most out of their upcoming visit to Moco Museum Barcelona will want to keep in mind a few more things.
*Moco Museum Barcelona operates on a timed-entry ticketing system. That means when you purchase your ticket in advance, you are committing to visiting the museum during a particular time slot. You’ll notice there’s a five-minute grace period on either side of your time slot; however, outside of that window Moco Museum Barcelona doesn’t guarantee entry, so you’ll want to be as punctual as possible when visiting this establishment.
*If you have some flexibility in your schedule, consider visiting Moco Museum Barcelona either early in the day (the museum typically opens each day of the week at 10:00am) or just prior to its closing time (which varies depending on the day). This is because tickets are usually available during these time slots at discounted rates.
*Moco Museum Barcelona lacks on-site luggage storage facilities. However, they do offer a discount on luggage storage at a nearby facility with which they have a sponsored partnership. For the most up-to-date information on this topic, be sure and check out the “Frequently Asked Questions” page on the museum’s official website.
Why Moco Museum Barcelona Should Be on Your Must-See List
If you’re an afficionado of contemporary art looking to squeeze one more fabulous museum onto your Barcelona itinerary, or you have a particular passion for some of the past 50 years’ most popular artists, you won’t want to miss out on the chance to experience Moco Museum Barcelona firsthand. The museum specializes in vivid, striking pop art that tends to make a powerful and bold impression on the viewer; as a result, Moco Museum Barcelona is one of the city’s more photogenic gallery spaces—you’ll definitely want to have your camera ready when visiting here!
