News
Marko Daniel leaves the direction of the Miró Foundation
Marko Daniel's departure from the Fundació Joan Miró joins the changes at MACBA, the Picasso Museum, the Design Museum and La Virreina, at a key moment for the institutional and symbolic future of the Catalan museum system.
The year has started with a notable shake-up in the management of the main Catalan museum facilities. In a matter of weeks of this 2026, a domino effect has occurred that redefines the institutional map of art in the country and opens a new stage in key centers of the cultural system. In April , Elvira Dyangani Ose will leave the management of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona (MACBA), while Emmanuel Guigon will not continue at the helm of the Picasso Museum, where Charo Peiró will take over.
The changes extend to other institutions: Lluís Nacenta takes over the direction of the Design Museum, and Valentín Roma will leave his position at La Virreina Centre de la Imatge. However, the news that has surprised the sector the most has been the announcement of Marko Daniel 's departure from the general management of the Fundació Joan Miró next June.
The decision was made public through a statement in which it is reported that Daniel, who took up the position in 2018, will end his term after having served two consecutive terms. His period at the head of the foundation has been marked by a clear commitment to international projection and the institutional reinforcement of the center, at a strategic moment in which the institution is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Daniel had taken over from Rosa Maria Malet, who led the foundation for nearly thirty-seven years, consolidating its prestige and continuity. The current transition, therefore, not only implies a change of leadership, but also the opening of a new cycle on a particularly symbolic anniversary.
In the balance of recent years, the foundation has wanted to highlight major exhibition projects that have reinforced the international dimension of Miró's work and his dialogue with modernity: the exhibition dedicated to Paul Klee (2022-2023), the Miró-Picasso dialogue (2023-2024), Miró-Matisse (2024-2025) and the exhibition focused on the relationship between Miró and the United States (2025-2026).
The handover of the management will therefore coincide with the end of the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation. The Board of Trustees will soon activate the selection process of the person who will have to lead the museum in the coming years, in a context that requires continuity but also the ability to redefine horizons. Although his third term had recently been renewed, Daniel's departure introduces an unexpected turn in a year that has already been confirmed as one of the most decisive for the immediate future of Catalan museums.
