Ubu Painter at Museu Picasso Barcelona, a concise guide before you go
A concise guide to Ubu Painter at Museu Picasso Barcelona, what it is, what to look for, and how to get the one page PDF for your visit.
If you are visiting Barcelona and want a clear way into this exhibition without doing homework, this guide is for you.
At a glance
Where
Museu Picasso, Barcelona
Dates
27 November 2025 to 6 April 2026
What it is
A temporary exhibition built around Alfred Jarry’s Ubu world, and how it shaped twentieth century art and thought, from early modern circles to later responses in Surrealism and pataphysics, ending with a contemporary section featuring William Kentridge.
The core idea
This exhibition shows how a single grotesque character, Ubu, became a reusable tool to talk about power, corruption, and absurd authority, and how artists kept reshaping that tool across decades.
Who is Alfred Jarry, and why does he matter here
Alfred Jarry was a French writer at the turn of the twentieth century. His Ubu story is a fierce satire that made room for a new kind of theatre, where authority is ridiculous, violent, and endlessly self serving.
The exhibition uses Jarry as a starting point, then follows the ripple effect through artists, movements, and institutions that reused Ubu as a symbol and a method.
How the exhibition is built
The show moves in four broad steps:
- Jarry’s own material, books, graphic work, drawings
- Artists from his circle and early modern responses
- The later afterlife of Ubu in Surrealism and pataphysics
- A contemporary section with William Kentridge, plus a final note on how Jarry’s work was received in Catalonia
What to look for while you walk
1) Ubu as a visual machine
Ubu is not just a character, he is a shape that can be redrawn endlessly. Watch how the same ingredients return, and how the mood shifts from comic to menacing.
2) The tone shift, from satire to political tool
As you move through the rooms, notice when the joke stops being light, and starts reading like a diagnosis of authority.
3) Influence as a network, not a straight line
This show is strongest when you treat it like a map of circles, magazines, and shared references, rather than a single artist’s story. Labels become easier when you ask, who is borrowing from whom, and why now.
A few anchors to hold onto
You do not need to remember names. Use these anchors instead:
A portrait or mask like image that defines Ubu
A piece that turns Ubu into a political archetype, not a gag
A work that shows Ubu travelling across movements and decades
A contemporary response that proves the character still works
Practical visit notes
Check the museum’s website for the latest ticket options, opening hours, and guided tour slots.
