Hi guys! Hola from Barcelona, and welcome back to another episode of Tarik Talk! I’m so happy to be back in Spain and especially here in Barcelona, which has become one of my favorite cities in the world. There’s something about coming back here that always feels special. The architecture, the history, the food, the energy of the city—and, of course, the art. Barcelona is one of those places where creativity feels like it’s everywhere. You don’t necessarily have to walk into a museum to experience it. It’s in the streets, the buildings, the parks, and the incredible architecture surrounding you. But this trip feels particularly special because, for me, it’s also a full-circle moment. When I launched Tarik Talk back in 2022, Spain was actually one of the countries where I recorded the podcast. At the time, I really had no idea where this journey would take me. The idea was simply to create a space where I could have conversations about art, meet interesting people, visit incredible places, and share some of the things that inspire me as an artist. And since then, Tarik Talk has taken me to museums, galleries, studios, art fairs, and cultural institutions around the world. So being back in Spain, recording again and thinking about where this all started, feels pretty incredible. Over the next few days, I’m going to be sharing some of my favorite art institutions, museums, and architectural landmarks that I love returning to whenever I’m back in Spain. We’re going to explore Barcelona through the work of some of the artists and architects who have helped define this incredible city. We’ll step into the world of Joan Miró at the Fundació Joan Miró. We’ll explore Picasso’s formative years at the Museu Picasso. And, of course, you really can’t talk about Barcelona without talking about Antoni Gaudí. We’ll experience the Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló, Park Güell, and La Pedrera—places where architecture becomes sculpture, color becomes part of the environment, and entire buildings become works of art. And then we’re heading north to Bilbao, where we’ll visit one of the most recognizable contemporary art museums in the world: the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. What I’m most excited about with these episodes is simply taking you along with me. These aren't meant to be lectures about art. They're about experiencing it—walking through these spaces, looking closely, discovering something new, and hopefully inspiring you to visit some of these places yourself. And as an artist, traveling has always been an important source of inspiration for me. There’s something about seeing art in person, experiencing the architecture around it, and understanding the city and culture it comes from that you simply can't recreate through a screen. So, four years after launching Tarik Talk, here we are—back in Spain. It really does feel like we’ve come full circle. I’m Tarik Mendes, this is Tarik Talk, and welcome to Spain. Vamos! 🇪🇸
