Short Biography
Josep Maria Cabané was born in 1963 in Barcelona, where he lives and works.
He studied art at the Eina and Massana Schools in Barcelona.
During his first artistic period, which involved a long process of learning, he explored the issues of figurative representation in painting, especially the study of portraiture as pictorial research into human identity.
In 1996 he received the Sala Parés 38th Young Painter’s Award in Barcelona.
In 2001 the reading of If This Is a Man by Primo Levi was a turning point in his position as an artist and he developed the project Memory and Blindness (2004-2013), a pictorial investigation into the representation of European historical memory. He undertook documentation work and travelled to the concentration camps of Mauthausen, Gusen and Ebensee (Austria), Sachsenhausen in Germany and the ghetto of Theresienstadt (Terezin, Czech Republic). Memory and Blindness is a reflection on the crisis of artistic language “after Auschwitz”, an inquiry into the boundaries of its representation and an exploration of the visual and commemorative potential of the cartographic and linguistic signs. The political commitment of this project opened up a new public and civic dimension to his work.
Cabané claims the transforming and emancipating capacity of a cognitive aesthetic experience. As a painter, he is very interested in the processes of gestation and production of images, in the involvement of the body and the gesture, in the materiality and drive of painting, and also in the reflexive and critical aspect of art. He has broadened his areas of interest into fields such as poetry, philosophy, psychoanalysis, archeology and visual studies, and has developed lines of theoretical research such as the relation between ethics and aesthetics, the issues of the artistic representation of damage and violence, the debates on iconoclasm, the anachronism and modernity in painting today, the contemporary status of the images and the dialectic of the pictorial image with writing and verbal language.
J. M. Cabané is actively involved in the pedagogy of art and teaches painting at the Massana School and also at his studio in Barcelona.
As an independent artist he has presented his projects with solo exhibitions in museums, galleries and institutions: “The Erasure” at the Museum of Jewish History (Girona, 2012), “Painting Afterwards” at the Arts Santa Mònica (Barcelona, 2012), “Paintings against Oblivion” at the Exile Memorial Museum – MUME (La Jonquera, 2012), “Memory and Blindness”, International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, at the Sala Clavé in the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya (Barcelona, 2008), “Anamnesis” at Can Xalant (Mataró, 2007) and “K. L. Ebensee and Other Paintings” at the Sala H (Vic, 2006).
His work is included in diverse collections and museums such as “la Caixa” Testimony Collection (Barcelona), Eina Foundation Art Collection (Barcelona), Fran Daurel Museum, Fran Daurel Contemporary Art Foundation (Barcelona), Can Framis Museum of Contemporary Painting, Vila Casas Foundation (Barcelona) and also in several private collections in Spain, Italy and the USA.
Download Curriculum Vitae
• PDF: CV Josep Maria Cabané (en)
• PDF: CV Josep Maria Cabané (ca)
Curriculum Vitae (Full version)
EDUCATION
1980-81 Art Studies, Massana School of Art, Barcelona.
1982-85 Art Courses, Eina School of Art, Barcelona.
1985-86 Painting Workshop, Massana School of Art, and Art History, Eina School of Art, Barcelona.
1986-87 Sculpture Studies, Massana School of Art.
1987-88 Stage Design Studies, Barcelona Theatre Institute.
1991-92 Altarpieces Workshop, Massana School of Art.
TRAINING
He has expanded his theoretical training by participating in several masters and seminars, notably:
2002 – Lacan and Painting: Five Works/Paintings, Seminar, Biblioteca del Campo Freudiano, Barcelona.
2005 – The Holocaust: Crimes against Humanity and the Demand for Responsibility, Seminar, Institute for the Humanities, CCCB, Barcelona.
2005 – The Possible Image. Art and the Memory of the Camps, International Seminar, University of Girona, Sala de Graus, Girona
2006 – The Ghost Image, Seminar, Antoni Tàpies Foundation, Barcelona.
2007 – The Wounded Image: Geographies of Pain and the Commitment of Art, International Seminar, University of Girona, Sala de Graus, Girona.
2008 – Dark is the Room Where We Sleep. The Recovery of Historical Memory and its Representation, Day for Reflection and Debate, KRTU, Barcelona.
2008 – Workshop with Francesc Torres, Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA), Barcelona.
2009 – Portraiture Today, Seminar-Workshop with the artists Javier Codesal and Alex Francés and the psychoanalyst Montserrat Rodríguez Garzo, Barbier-Mueller Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, Barcelona.
2009-10 – Thinking About Today’s Art, Master Seminar on Philosophy and Contemporary Art, Autonomous University of Barcelona – Joan Miró Foundation, Barcelona.
2010 – Visual Cultures and Global Design, Symposium, University of Barcelona, Arts Santa Mònica, Barcelona.
2010 – On Artistic Research, Seminar, Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA), Barcelona.
2010 – Body Without Organs: The Philosophical Gesture of Gilles Deleuze, Summer Course, PEI, MACBA, Barcelona.
2012 – Ways of Seeing an Image. Psychoanalysis in Dialogue with other Languages, Course, Massana School of Art, Barcelona.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
He has taught painting seminars at several art schools:
1996 – Escola d’Art de la Cellera de Ter (Girona).
1996-2006 – Escola D’Arts i Oficis de la Diputació de Barcelona.
2002-2003 – Escola Eina, Centre Universitari de Disseny i Art de Barcelona.
2004-2006 – Escola de la Dona (Diputació de Barcelona).
2009-2010 – Centre Artístic Sant Lluc (Barcelona).
From 2005 until now teaches painting at the Massana School of Art and also at his studio in Barcelona.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2012 – The Erasure, Museum of Jewish History, Girona.
2012 – Painting Afterwards, Arts Santa Mònica, Barcelona.
2012 – Paintings against Oblivion, Exile Memorial Museum (MUME), La Jonquera, Girona.
2008 – Memory and Blindness, Alliance Française, Sabadell.
2008 – Memory and Blindness, International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, Sala Clavé, Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona.
2007 – Anamnesis (installation), Beckett 101 cycle, Can Xalant – Centre for Creativity and Contemporary Thinking, Mataró, Barcelona.
2006 – K. L. Ebensee and Other Paintings, Associació per les Arts Contemporànies, Sala H, Vic, Barcelona, When Extremes Meet cycle, curated by Jeffrey Swartz.
2006 – Anamnesis (installation), La Interior Bodega, Barcelona.
2003 –Humanity, Fondazione L’Olmocolmo, Brescia (Italy), curated by Vanda Maifrini.
2000 – Dreams, Àmbit Galeria d’Art, Barcelona.
1999 – La Galeria, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona.
1999 – Botó de Roda, Torroella de Montgrí, Girona.
1998 – New Paintings, Cindric Meyer Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida (US), curated by Tania Strauss.
1996 – Faces, Galeria Tartessos, Barcelona.
1993 – Drawings, Mil Noucents, Barcelona.
1991 – Mimesis, Galeria Jordi Boronat, Barcelona.
1986 – Rictus, Sala d’Art Jove de la Generalitat, Barcelona.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2010 – Vila Casas Foundation Painting Award, Espai Volart, Barcelona.
2007– X (1997-2007) Tenth Anniversary, La Xina Art, Barcelona.
2005 – ·3rd Torroella de Montgrí Contemporary Painting Award, Fundació Vila Casas, Palau Solterra,Torroella de Montgrí, Girona.
2002 – The Figure, La Galeria, Sant Cugat del Vallès.
2001 –Vostestaquí (You Are Here): Contemporary Art in Barcelona, curated by Chus Martínez and Rosa Ferré, Barcelona Art Report 2001. Experiències cycle, Palau de la Virreina, Barcelona.
2000-01 – Testimony Collection, 1999-2000, Sala de Exposiciones Casa de la Provincia, Seville.
2000 – Eina Foundation Art Collection, Torre Vella Cultural Centre, Salou (Tarragona), curated by Joan Abelló Juanpere.
– For Our Friends, La Xina Art, Barcelona 1999.
– 30 Eines, 1967-1997, La Passió Espai d’Art, Olesa de Montserrat.
– Fundació Codespa, Hotel Majestic, Barcelona.
– Summer Group Exhibition, Galeria Rrose Selavy, Barcelona.
1998 – The Partner-Symptom, Galeria Maeght, Barcelona.
– Inaugural Exhibition, La Galeria, Sant Cugat del Vallès.
– Botó de Roda, Torroella de Montgrí, Girona.
– 30 Eines, 1967-1997, Eina Foundation Art Collection, Arts Santa Mònica, Barcelona.
1997 – Trees for Peace. A Tribute to Fernando Múgica Herzog, Palau Güell, Barcelona.
1996 – 38th Young Painters Award, Sala Parés, Barcelona, and Museu Comarcal de la Garrotxa, Olot, Girona.
–The Colours of Blue, Sala Maremagnum, Barcelona.
– Ways, Sala Atrium, Barcelona.
1995 – 37th Young Painters Award, Sala Parés, Barcelona, Sant Cugat del Vallès and Tarragona.
– Banana Factory, Barcelona.
1994 – Paintings, La Gloria, Barcelona.
1993 – Eina, A Tribute to Joan Miró, Galeria Carles Taché, Barcelona.
– Zen Art Vivant, Centre Culturel Forum des Corderlies, Toulouse, France.
1992 – The Genius of the Bastille, Espace Zen, Paris, France.
– American Prints, Barcelona.
1991 – Nine Young Proposals, Sala Parés, Barcelona.
–Galeria Brok, Barcelona.
–Graphic Arts ’91, Lola Durán, Barcelona.
1987 –6th Fine Arts Show, Sala d’Art Jove de la Generalitat, Barcelona.
– Artists from the Eina School, Idea Mueble, Barcelona.
– Sculptures, Sala Busquets, Escola Massana, Barcelona.
1986 – 25th International Joan Miró Drawing Award, Joan Miró Foundation, Barcelona, Girona, and Andorra.
– Galeria Amagatotis, Barcelona.
– Graphic Arts Exhibition, Engraving Workshop, Eina School of Art, Barcelona.
1985 – 6th Sant Lluc Drawing Award, Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc, Barcelona.
AWARDS/GRANTS
1996 – 1st Prize at the 38th Young Painters Award, Sala Parés, Barcelona.
1984-85 – Scholarship Grant at the Eina School of Art, Barcelona.
COLLECTIONS
Art Collection, Eina Foundation, Barcelona.
Can Framis Museum of Contemporary Painting, Vila Casas Foundation of Contemporary Catalan Art, Barcelona.
Fran Daurel Museum, Fran Daurel Foundation of Contemporary Art, Barcelona.
Testimony Collection, “la Caixa” Foundation, Barcelona.
PRESS
07·12·2012: Camps, Eduald, “Josep Maria Cabané”, Diari de Girona, Girona (in Catalan).
10·10·2012: Zgustova, Monika, “In Praise of miscegenation”, El Punt Avui, Barcelona (in Catalan).
05·10·2012: Camps, Eduald, “Cabané reviews the memory of extermination at the Museum of Jewish History”, Diari de Girona, Girona (in Catalan).
26·07·2012: Palau, Maria, “Paintings against oblivion”, El Punt Avui, Barcelona (in Catalan).
17·05·2012: Geli, Carles, “Paintings…”, Quadern, El País, Barcelona (in Catalan).
11·05·2012: Pujadó, Judit, “Against oblivion”, La Vanguardia, Girona (in Catalan).
08·05·2012: Fuentes, Sònia, “Artistic view against oblivion”, Empordà, Figueres (in Catalan).
08·05·2012: Vàzquez, Marta, “How to paint barbarism”, Hora Nova, Girona (in Catalan).
04·05·2012: Vàzquez, Eva, “Maps of exception”, El Punt Avui, Girona (in Catalan).
June 2012: “‘Paintings against oblivion’, by J. M. Cabané”, bonart, No. 152, Girona (in Catalan).
June 2012: “Paintings against oblivion. An exhibition by J. M. Cabané”, L’Avenç, No. 380, Barcelona (in Catalan).
05·06·2010: Palau, Maria, “Art opens doors”, El Punt, Barcelona (in Catalan).
07·04·2008: Farrés, Cristina, “The human condition and its capacity for genocide”, L’Avui, Sabadell (in Catalan).
03·04·2008: Bella, Emili, “Art is born out of ignominy”, El Punt, Sabadell (in Catalan).
2008: Holgado, Álex, “Remembering collective blindness”, Diari de Sabadell, Sabadell (in Catalan).
24·01·2008: García, Sonia, “The memory of the Holocaust”, El Periódico, Barcelona (in Spanish).
28·04·2006: J. V., “Round table on art and memory at the Sala H in Vic”, El 9 Nou, Vic (in Catalan).
19·04·2006: Muñoz, Eva, “Books with biographies”, Cultura/s, No. 200, La Vanguardia, Barcelona (in Spanish).
07·04·2006: Palomo, Anna, “A moral lamentation”, El 9 Nou, Vic (in Catalan).
01·07·2001: Fontova, Rosario, “A sample of the creativity that occurs in Barcelona”, El Periódico, Barcelona (in Spanish).
2000: Cadena, Josep Mª, “Josep-Maria Cabané”, El Periódico, Barcelona (in Spanish).
29·07·1999: Borràs, Mª Lluisa,“Summer arts at L’Empordà”, La Vanguardia, Barcelona (in Spanish).
17·09·1996: Piñol, Rosa, “Cabané wins the Young Painters Award at the Sala Parés”, La Vanguardia, Barcelona (in Spanish).
19·04·1996: Miralles, Francesc, “Ways”, La Vanguardia, Barcelona (in Spanish).
1996: Miralles, Francesc,“Josep Maria Cabané. Portraits”, La Vanguardia, Barcelona (in Catalan).
11·06·1995: Moragas, Gabriela, “Barcelona’s Old City: A refuge for artists”, Magazine La Vanguardia, Barcelona (in Spanish).
April 1994: Fredes, Andrés, “Josep Maria Cabané”, Snack, No. 04, Barcelona (in Spanish).
13·05·1992: Xandri, Helena, “Interview with Josep Maria Cabané”, Diari de Barcelona, Barcelona (in Catalan).
18·07·1991: Carmona, M., “9 Young Proposals”, Revista Alhora, Barcelona (in Spanish).
11·07·1991: Vilana, Àngels, “Nine young proposals, Sala Parés”, Diari de Barcelona, Barcelona (in Catalan).
1989: Tasis, Rafael, “The eye that will not stop”, Revista Class, Barcelona (in Spanish).
May 1986: Duffour, Julián, “Josep Maria Cabané”, Gal Art, No. 26, Barcelona (in Spanish).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Capdevila, Pol, «Josep Maria Cabané’s Memory and Blindness», Herito, No. 13, Krakow, 2013 (in English and Polish).
Capdevila, Pol, “The Sensitivity of Memory”, Exile Memorial Museum, La Jonquera, 2012 (in Catalan, Spanish, English and French).
EINA, «Twenty Years of Avant-Garde, 1967-1987», Exhibition Catalogue, Barcelona, 1987 (in Catalan, Spanish and English).
Lluró, Josep Mª, “Catalan Perspectives on the Holocaust”, Carrers de frontera Vol. I, Institut Ramon Llull, Barcelona, 2007 (in Catalan).
Lluró, Josep Mª, “Licking a poisoned heart”, Revista Rels, No. 9, Tortosa, 2007 (in Catalan).
Martínez, Chus,“You Are Here”, Vostestaquí, Exhibition Catalogue, Barcelona, 2001 (in Catalan).
Mitrani, Àlex: “Memory and Blindness Project”, Papers d’Art, No. 90, Girona, 2006 (in Catalan).
Pons, Arnau, “About Heaps”, Anuari Can Xalant 02, Mataró, 2008 (in Catalan, Spanish and English); Memory and Blindness, Sabadell, 2009 (in Catalan and Spanish).
Susanna, Àlex, Shadow Notebook, Columna Edicions, Barcelona, 1999 (in Catalan).
Swartz, Jeffrey, “Commitment and aesthetic intelligence in the art of J. M. Cabané”, Memory and Blindness, Sabadell, 2009 (in Catalan and Spanish).
Swartz, Jeffrey, “K. L. Ebensee and other paintings”, Sala H Associació per les Arts Contemporànies, Vic, 2006 (in Catalan).
TEXTS BY THE ARTIST
“Cracks in the Painting”, Memory and Blindness, Sabadell, 2009 (in Catalan and Spanish).
“The Process of a Project”, Memory and Blindness, Sabadell, 2009 (in Catalan and Spanish).
“Memory and Blindness”, Revista Quimera, No. 281, Barcelona, 2007 (in Spanish).
“On Contemporary Portraiture”, Vostestaquí, Exhibition Catalogue, Barcelona, 2001 (in Catalan).
“Round Portraits” (1995-2001)”, Vostestaquí, Exhibition Catalogue, Barcelona, 2001 (in Catalan).
“A Record of National Service”, Vostestaquí, Exhibition Catalogue, Barcelona, 2001 (in Catalan).