As of February 1, Spain embarks on the quest to appoint a successor for Manuel Borja-Villel, the former director of Madrid’s Museo Reina Sofía, who resigned on January 20 after a 15-year tenure. A letter of support, initially published by Hyperallergic, sees museum leaders from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Luxembourg expressing solidarity with Borja-Villel amidst right-wing criticism labeling his avant-garde initiatives as political. The full letter is available at the end of this article.
Signatories, including directors from the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and Kunstmuseum in The Hague, among others, emphasize in the letter, “Our intention in writing was to urge the Spanish government to continue the museum’s achievements into its next phase.” They urge that the new leadership builds on Borja-Villel’s progressive framework. “The government has enabled Museo Reina Sofia to evolve into its current esteemed status,” the letter states.
During his leadership, Borja-Villel significantly transformed the Reina Sofia, increasing annual visitors to 4.5 million by 2019. He introduced political and social themes to the museum’s prized exhibits, including Picasso’s “Guernica,” and frequently reorganized displays to foster inter-artwork dialogue. His tenure also saw a pivot towards contemporary and Latin American art, despite facing backlash for perceived politicization.
Right-wing media, such as Spain’s ABC, accused Borja-Villel of violating museum regulations during contract renewals in 2013 and 2018. The museum denied these allegations, which Borja-Villel asserts did not influence his resignation. Charles Esche, a signatory and director of the Van Abbemuseum, praised the Reina Sofia’s transformation under his leadership, highlighting the “Rethinking Guernica” project as a critical re-contextualization of Picasso’s work.
An additional letter supporting Borja-Villel surfaced on January 30 on E-flux, collecting over a thousand endorsements from cultural figures worldwide, including those from London’s Tate Modern and Paris’s Centre Pompidou. “The Reina Sofia’s approach to de-colonizing and de-modernizing makes it a pioneer,” Esche remarked. The letter in support of Borja-Villel can be read below.
