I’ve been a boss my whole life, not just since I made the donation. In the early ’70s I started buying the works of conceptual artists and helped them survive in Spain at a time when neither individuals, museums nor public institutions paid the slightest attention to them. When I broke up with my second wife, she kept the works of absolute value and I wanted conceptualism because I had an important relationship with the artists and their work. Because its social and political message is permanent, it is not a historical but a living collection.
It seems that he was always free.
I was out of office. I am an independent person.
Do you think the tax deductions from donations to MACBA are sufficient?
It will be signed in fifteen days or a month. The works remain the property of the Barcelona City Council, not Macba, because they fear the museum will become a society. [Ayuntamiento de Barcelona, Generalitat de Cataluña y Fundación Museo de Arte Contemporáneo] one day it may disappear, which may affect the collection. All that’s left is for town hall to sign the donation agreement with the conditions I set for them to take care of it if taxes have to be paid. Besides donating, I won’t be paying.
Donation has more disadvantages than advantages.
A donation has to have tax benefits.
I have no clue at this time that this could happen. I guess nothing can destroy me. Donation has more disadvantages than advantages.
Great, isn’t it?
That’s why I covered myself.
Have you ever thought of starting a foundation?
Understood. Rafael Tous Foundation for Contemporary Art. They advised me to create it to make the metronome cultural space. Disabled now. If the chamber worked for 35 years, I was alone for 30 years and in the last five years I received help from the municipality.
I’m sorry for mistake. Is reform in the patronage law necessary?
This is really important. A good law brings many secrets to light. There are many people who have art and don’t say anything about taxes.
As a person who interacts directly with creators, have you ever been encouraged by the community?
100% of my business profit was spent on business buying and Metronome. In culture. And nothing.
He amassed a daring collection.
People who are outside the market, completely unknown, usually in exile in Paris or New York.
Budgets for culture come from an ignorant and strange country. They should have tripled or quadrupled it
What do you think about the budgets allocated by the government and the Generalitat for culture?
They’re illiterate and a weird country thing. You cannot have such a creative culture. We are a culture-hating country. All public institutions now have less money than they used to. In Spain, culture took a walk with Franco. And the cuts were the rejection of culture. Budgets are ridiculous and should be tripled or quadrupled.
Do you cooperate with any foundation?
Not in the field of culture. Yes, with beings in the world struggling with poverty. For example, with Doctors Without Borders. In Burundi, my children and I started a project that benefits nearly 3,000 people: water, medical protection, school…
What should be the balance between administrations and patronage in culture?
Patronage can only be an addition, from plus to plus.
There are great artists who quit art because they could not make a living.
Do you think any artist would throw in the towel without your support?
This is very possible. In Spain they were out of context and also politicized. There are great artists who quit art because they could not make a living.
Do you remember anything you bought with special love?
It was fun being part of Artur Heras at the Consell de Cent gallery. Picture of a burned down police jeep and flyers on the ground. I bought the work, took the painting and the brochures with me, and soon the police went to get it. I had left.
Do you have a relationship with these artists?
I continue to see almost everyone alive. Like many weekends in Empordà with Pere Noguera and Francesc Abad. And if I go to New York, I’ll see Miralda. I still buy from time to time his work, which I added to the donated collection because it is a part of it.