Removal of Sixena artworks to proceed as if it was a “borrowing,” says museum director

The removal of 44 disputed artworks from the Museum of Lleida ordered by a judge in order to bring them back to its original location in Sixena, a town in the Spanish autonomous community of Aragon, will take place as if it was “a borrowing”, said the museum director Josep Giralt. He thus implies that the museum will collaborate with the transfer of the pieces, despite widespread opposition.

Although the pieces were legally bought by Catalonia in the nineties, they became the subject of a long-lasting legal dispute. While the Spanish government directly controls the Catalan administration, it ordered the transfer of the pieces. The move was later confirmed by a judge.

A judge authorized Spanish Guardia Civil officers and other security bodies to access the museum from midnight on Monday, December 11, in order to “guarantee” access to the staff of the Aragonese government. They were authorized to “even” using “force” if necessary. “Anybody who attempts to hinder the operation may be charged with crimes of disobedience,” the judge said.

The spokesperson for the Platform of Cultural Entities in Lleida, Xavier Quinquillà, said that should the transfer of the pieces come about, “people will mobilize to express their opposition in a civic, peaceful and respectful way”.

Quinquillà said that they feel “helpless” and accused institutions of benefiting from Article 155, referring to the constitutional tool triggered by Madrid to dismiss the Catalan cabinet and impose direct rule following a declaration of independence.

The relocation of the pieces was long opposed by the Catalan Ministry of Culture, which argued that they are too fragile to move. However, its position has been weakened after the application of Article 155 and the sacking of the culture minister.

The artworks are part of a larger collection of more than a thousand items removed from the Sixena monastery during the Civil War and taken to Catalonia. They were taken during the early days of the conflict, when monasteries and other Catholic buildings were being destroyed, in order to be protected.