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The Culture Circle recognizes Rosa Maria Malet
The former director of the Fundació Joan Miró receives a tribute for her career at the head of the center and for her commitment to contemporary art.
Rosa Maria Malet i Ybern has been a key figure in the dissemination and care of Joan Miró's legacy for decades. At the head of the Fundació Joan Miró for more than thirty years, she contributed decisively to turning this space into a meeting point for contemporary art, always keeping the spirit of the artist himself alive. Yesterday, the Cercle de Cultura paid tribute to her career, recognizing a work done with constancy, discretion and a clear vocation for the world of art.
Born in Badalona in 1948 and trained in Art History at the University of Barcelona, Malet began working at the Fundació Joan Miró in 1975, coinciding with its inauguration. She spent her entire professional life there, first as part of the grassroots team and later as director, a position she assumed in 1980 and held until her retirement in 2017. Throughout this period, she promoted numerous projects, supported new artists and contributed to making the Foundation much more than a museum, turning it into a living space open to contemporary creation.
The recognition from the Cercle de Cultura comes as part of the 50th anniversary of the Foundation, and aims to highlight a way of working focused on collaboration, involvement with work teams, and a clear vision of what a center dedicated to today's art should be like. Her interest in the Miró world has led her to write several books about the artist, including Obra de Joan Miró (1988), Joan Miró. Una biografia (1992) and Joan Miró. Au-delà de la peinture (2019). She has also curated numerous exhibitions, always providing in-depth knowledge of Miró's work and the context in which it developed.
Over the years, she has been recognized with several awards and distinctions. In 2016, the Association of Museologists of Catalonia awarded her a prize for her professional career; in 2017 she was distinguished by the French Government with the National Order of Merit, and the following year she received the Creu de Sant Jordi. But beyond the awards, her career is remembered above all for having understood and respected Miró's original wish: that his foundation be an active center for study and reflection on contemporary art.
