Sex, religion and politics mix in Barcelona's controversial new Museum of Forbidden Art

Banksy, Francisco de Goya, and Pablo Picasso share wall space in a new museum because they all have one unenviable thing in common: they faced censorship of one kind or another.

The Museu de l’Art Prohibit (Museum of Prohibited Art), which recently opened in Barcelona, is the world’s only collection of works which have been banned by authorities somewhere in the world or even by the artists themselves.

A painting of Donald Trump with a tiny penis, a woman licking a banana lasciviously and a set of glamorous high heels on Muslim prayer mats are among the eclectic mix of art amassed over five years by Spanish journalist and businessman Tatxo Benet.

From works considered religious blasphemy to paintings or sketches touching on sexual taboos and political and social critiques, the art does not shy away from anything.

What gives the exhibition an extra edge is that next to every painting, video or sketch is an explanation of the reaction at the time. This is often illustrated with headlines from contemporary newspapers or quotes.

Carles Guerra, the curator of the exhibition which features 200 works, said the museum brings together censorship cases in which artists have been attacked, assaulted, or prosecuted.

“It is quite shocking to see that censorship is not so simple because of the very primitive ways of censorship in which art was denied a place to more sophisticated ways in which it was attacked. Censorship is constantly evolving,” he told Euronews Culture.

“At the same time, there is a constant reaction from the public who do not abide by this censorship and want to support the right to exist in the public place.”

Guerra said the exhibition attempted to give context by showing the reaction to controversial works.

“You see the