Rafael Tous gets the Gold Medal for Cultural Merit
The textile entrepreneur, cultural benefactor and art collector Rafael Tous has collected the Gold Medal for Cultural Merit in recognition of his career and his work to promote and support conceptual and experimental artistic practices.
Born in Barcelona in 1940, Rafael Tous was a pioneer in backing conceptual art, gradually assembling a personal collection of a thousand works. Part of this archive has formed part of the collection at the MACBA since 2020, a collection that includes conceptual and experimental works by Catalan artists such as Francesc Abad, Fina Miralles, Eugènia Balcells, Jordi Benito, Carmen Calvo and Joan Rabascall.
To create a wholly contemporary art space, Rafael Tous opened the Sala Metrònom in Barcelona in 1980, firstly in C/ Berlinès, in Sant Gervasi, and then in C/ Fusina, next to the Mercat del Born. The centre was operative from 1980 to 2006, representing an epicentre for the most radical creation and enabling hybrid experimental practices between music, performance arts and installations to flourish.
Tous created the Fundació Rafael Tous d’Art Contemporani in 1985. The institution received the Creu de Sant Jordi in 2021 for its contribution in favour of Catalan culture.
