Joan Miró (1893-1983) never rested on his laurels. At every stage of his career, he strove to maintain his level of excellence and remain a relevant artist. The following generation of American artists played a key role, as can be seen at the Joan Miró Foundation in Barcelona starting this Friday in the major exhibition. Joan Miró and the United States. Miró found creative inspiration in artists such as Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Mark Rothko, Louise Bourgeois, and Louise Nevelson, and at the same time, he passed on his own strength to them. Pollock said in 1944 that the two artists he most admired were Miró and Picasso. 25 years later, Miró himself stated that what had truly inspired him was "American painting."

The Joan Miró Foundation, with the support of the Generalitat de Catalunya and other institutions, began its 50th anniversary celebrations this June, looking to a future where this institution will continue to be a local, national, and international benchmark for contemporary art.

There were almost a thousand of us, which is quite a lot. Everyone was happy and eager to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Fundació Miró. This Sunday there will be an open house –starting at six in the morning!– with many activities that add to the enticing appeal of visiting this emblematic building, in a privileged location on Montjuïc and featuring a collection of works by one of the greatest artists the city has ever produced. On Wednesday night, the retrospective exhibition, both moving and somewhat mischievous, opened in a festive event where hundreds of people, young and old, remembered and celebrated this half-century since modernity finally made its home in Barcelona.

As an artist, Joan Miró rebelled against his parents and quickly challenged artistic tradition and conventions. One of his most famous slogans is "to kill painting." This statement fits perfectly with the discovery made by the Fundació Joan Miró's preventive conservation and collection teams, led by Elisabet Serra, and made public this Thursday. To make the painting Paint (1925-1927), Miró took a portrait of his mother, Dolors Ferrà i Oromí, that another artist had made, laid it aside, and painted over it. Using non-invasive techniques, including X-rays, infrared photography, and hyperspectral imaging, researchers have been able to reveal the underlying portrait and identify its model. His use of his mother's portrait may have been a mockery, revenge for her and his father's opposition to his desire to pursue an artistic career. It wasn't due to a lack of materials, but rather a deliberate decision.

Wars shake the art market, but the market resists. While Donald Trump shakes the world order, the 44th edition of the Arco fair started in Madrid on Wednesday, with a surprisingly low presence of protest art. It is true that the objectives at Arco are to buy and sell works of art, and that many of the 214 participating galleries closed the selection of works months ago, but, even so, it is striking not to find more political art. As Francesc Torres wrote about the paintings he exhibits at the T20 gallery, art offers "a small space of freedom, even if it is small, fragile and in many cases fictitious, but it serves to survive." He also warns in the motto of one of the works that The politician is not what makes political art art, and in another that Don't make art unless you have a very good reason.