1981-1982

1981
In Saint-Paul-de-Vence he creates his first ceramic sculptures, assisted by the German ceramist Hans Spinner. In Madrid, King Juan Carlos I awards him the Medalla de Oro de Bellas Artes, and in London he is invested doctor honoris causa by the Royal College of Art. Makes the first sketches for a monumental sculpture dedicated to Picasso, commissioned by Barcelona City Council. Further collaborations in the field of the collector’s book: Anular, with José-Miguel Ullán, Tàpies, répliquer, with Jean Daive, and La pierre trouant le sens mais, plus tard, le ciel au fond de l’entaille, with Yves Bonnefoy. Attends the opening of his retrospective exhibition at the Fondation Château de Jau (Cases-de-Pène, France). Another trip to New York for his exhibition at the M. Knoedler Gallery. In Barcelona, the Galeria Maeght brings together over a hundred paintings and drawings from 1980. Solo exhibitions in Tokyo, Lindau, Sankt Gall, San Francisco, Madrid, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Osaka and Zurich. Takes part in the exhibition Paris-Paris, 1937-1957. Création en France (Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris).

1982
Publication of La realitat com a art, a third collection of articles and statements by the artist. The dichotomy between “real culture” and “official culture” and a questioning of the cultural policies promoted by the political establishment are recurrent themes in his texts during the course of the year. He attends the opening of his retrospective exhibition in Venice (Scuola di San Giovanni Evangelista) as part of the XL Biennale di Venezia. Jointly with Marc Chagall he is awarded the Wolf Foundation prize in Jerusalem. Designs the sets for Jacques Dupin’s play L’Éboulement. Collaborates with Pere Gimferrer on the collector’s book Aparicions. Produces three etchings for El péndulo inmóvil, by José Angel Valente. Solo exhibitions in Rome, Zaragoza, Stuttgart, Paris, Los Angeles, Barcelona, New York, Salzburg and Munich.