Exhibition room in Moco Barcelona with Guillermo Lorca's artworks.
From October 11, 2022

Esplendor De La Noche

Guillermo Lorca

Giant yellow-eyed cats, angelic girls, and unknown creatures inhabit a haunting and delicate world, where beauty, horror, desire, fear, luxury, paranoia, and pleasure collide.

Surreal floral artwork by Guillermo Lorca featuring child figure at Moco Museum Barcelona.
Guillermo Lorca, The Little Gardeners
Guillermo Lorca Bio

Guillermo Lorca (Guillermo Lorca García-Huidobro) is a contemporary artist from Santiago, Chile taking the art world by storm. Moco Museum Barcelona is proud to premiere the exhibition “Esplendor de la Noche” by Guillermo Lorca. It is the first European solo show from the realist and romantic painter.

Artistic Impulses

As a child, Guillermo Lorca was enthralled by the illustrations in a book of fairytales by Gustave Doré. These stories, including Little Red Riding Hood, The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods, and Cinderella, sparked Lorca’s interest in the ongoing battle between good and evil that exists in both life and the natural world. This delicate balance of power continues to inspire Lorca’s art, which is characterized by beauty, horror, desire, fear, luxury, paranoia, and pleasure.

Did you know? Both Gustave Doré and Guillermo Lorca showed exceptional talent at a young age. Doré began working as an illustrator in Paris at the age of 15, while Lorca received training from the renowned Chilean artist Sergio Montero at the age of 16. In 2009, Lorca became the youngest artist to exhibit his work at the Baquedano Station of the Santiago Metro, where his six murals depicting Chilean people and subway users can still be seen today.

Timeless Style

The undeniably unique style of Guillermo Lorca Garcia, the artist, comes from studied skill by Old Master Painters, taking influence from Renaissance and Baroque periods. He mixes surrealism and dark contemporary fantasy to craft scenes depicting seductive luxury and raw violence.

The Devil is in the Details

The monumental oil paintings of Guillermo Lorca present worlds filled with alien creatures, giant flowers and insects – mixed with magical rituals of milk and blood. Innocent-looking children amidst scenes of destruction feed into a delicate balance of power.

As visitors to Moco Museum Barcelona take their first steps and experience Esplendor de la Noche, they are surrounded by disturbing details. For example, The Little Gardeners show a scene of fierce carnage amongst big cats and other beasts. Amidst the chaos, a little girl plays in pools of blood – “she is magical,” says Lorca. Another, floats above in the clutches of a butterfly. Lorca prompts us to wonder, “is she safe within its grasp, or can she be carried to safety?”

Guillermo Lorca x Simon de Pury

Art dealer and auctioneer Simon de Pury originally discovered the talents of Guillermo Lorca on Instagram. That connection grew and exploded on the art scene.

Now, Moco Museum Barcelona proudly presents “Esplendor de la Noche” by Guillermo Lorca, curated by Simon de Pury. It is the first European solo show by the contemporary Chilean artist.

“His virtuosity was fascinating – there are so many different elements from the history of art that are melded together.” – Simon de Pury

Experience “Esplendor de la Noche” by Guillermo Lorca and all other Moco Museum Barcelona Exhibitions.

*1 ticket gets you entrance to all exhibitions.

Not all artworks are always on display.

Our collection exhibits artwork on loan and from the Moco Collection. We keep our exhibitions ever-evolving, so every visit is a fresh experience. Occasionally, this means some artworks online are not always on view in the museum. We appreciate your understanding.

Modern artworks with bold colors and quotes displayed at Moco Museum Barcelona. Gallery view with KAWS artworks “Untitled” and “NYT” at Moco Museum Barcelona Contemporary black sculpture by Robin Kid a.k.a THE KID at Moco Museum Barcelona. Visitor walking in front of Opie's artwork at Moco Museum Barcelona. Immersive purple light diamond installation by Studio Irma at Moco Museum Barcelona. KAWS Companion statue in outdoor courtyard of Moco Museum Barcelona. Gallery wall featuring bold text artworks by Robbie Williams, including “You’re fucking amazing,” at Moco Museum Barcelona.

Reviews

  • 4.5 uit 5 sterren
    Rated 4.3/5
    6M visitors worldwide
  • 5 uit 5 sterren
    S.
    It is a well curated small collection of contemporary arts greatest hits along with a few up and coming artists exhibitions. I was fascinated by the pieces and I love how the museum flowed through each experience. The staff were amazing and helpful also. Absolutely a must see for contemporary art lovers!!
  • 5 uit 5 sterren
    Naledi H.
    I loved the museum! The art exhibited there was fantastic! It was so inspiring and such a wonderful experience. The art is so vibrant I loved being there I didn't want to leave.
  • 5 uit 5 sterren
    Virginia R.
    The exhibits were curated well. And the chosen pieces provided a nice representation of various influential and impactful artists. I would definitely recommend this museum for any fan of contemporary art.

Practical Information

  • Opening Hours
    • Monday – Sunday: 10:00 – 20:00
  • Duration

    Approximately 90 minutes.

  • Location

    Carrer de Montcada 25, Ciutat Vella, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. Get directions here.

  • Contact

    Do you have a question? Click here to chat with us (available Monday-Friday from 10:00 – 12:00)
    Or email us at [email protected].
    For all other inquiries see here.

  • Audio Guide

    Audio guides are available for purchase online through the Moco Museum ticketshop or at the entrance in Barcelona.

Media Reviews

  • Condé Nast Traveler
    Barcelona's Moco Museum is a riot–of colors, of styles, of pushing artistic boundaries. Mainly, of joy.
  • The New Barcelona Post
    An internationally successful museum arrives in Barcelona: the Moco Museum.
  • TripAdvisor
    The museum is well structured and organized, the works are interesting and, certainly, offers a different note than the usual Gaudi and Picasso etc.
  • PR Newswire
    Moco echoes its commitment to exhibiting iconic works by internationally renowned artists and rising stars. For many visitors, Moco is an entry point into the world of art.

"I'd been reading about the Victorian period when people were discovering new species for the first time, I wanted to convey that romantic, magical mood."

Guillermo Lorca

Get Tickets