Picasso. Dalí. Fetishism. The symbolism of desire at the Erotic Museum of Barcelona.

The Erotic Museum of Barcelona (EMB) celebrates the International Fetish Day, which takes place on January 16, with the inauguration of the exhibition "Picasso. Dalí. Fetishism. The Symbolism of Desire", an exhibition that proposes a cultural, historical, and sexological reading of fetishism through two great art history references.

The International Fetish Day was born in the United Kingdom in 2008 under the name National Fetish Day and later became international. Its original motto, "Perverts Wear Purple," advocates for erotic diversity and the right to live free from stigma. "For the EMB, this celebration fits perfectly with our mission, to combat prejudice through knowledge and cultural experience," says Sarah Rippert, director of the EMB. "I want to emphasize that the EMB is a space for visibility, community, and reflection on fetishism and BDSM-related practices every day of the year," Rippert points out.

An exhibition that revisits fetishism through art and sexology

"The exhibition 'Picasso. Dalí. Fetishism. The Symbolism of Desire' aims to address fetishism as a fundamental symbolic structure of human desire, moving away from pathologizing or reductionist interpretations," says Sexologist Sigrid Cervera, who conceptualized and directs the exhibition.

The itinerary is organized into three rooms:

• XIX Century Room (Victorian era): the origin of the term and some key objects

• Dalí Room: fetish as a mediator, object, and metaphor

• Picasso Room: the fetish that captures and fixes. Fragment and symbolic attraction

"This exhibition offers an approach and at the same time a reinterpretation of what we understand as fetishism. We do this through a dialogue between art and sexology, reclaiming the contribution of the British sexologist Havelock Ellis: fetishism as a symbolic process of desire, not as pathology or deviation," explains Cervera, sexologist at the Erotic Museum of Barcelona (EMB) and head of the Education Department.

"We will talk about how attraction can focus on an inanimate object, but above all, we want to highlight erotic symbolism: when this fetish does not substitute the desired person but evokes it," explains Cervera.

Guided tours with the EMB sexologist Sigrid Cervera

On the occasion of the exhibition, the museum will offer a special guided tour every Wednesday from January 21 focused on the sexological reading of fetishism in the works of Picasso and Dalí.

• Every Wednesday starting January 21 at 6:30 p.m.

• 25 euros per person

• Limited places (maximum 15 / minimum 4). Requires advance registration.

• Prior reservation up to 24 hours before. By writing to the email info@erotica-museum.com or ainfo@sigridcervera.com.

• The exhibition can be visited until April 15.

Fetishism in the EMB's permanent collection

Fetishism permeates multiple spaces of the EMB's permanent collection, from the room dedicated to BDSM to historical illustrations and photography, among others. Over the past years, the museum has also developed activities that establish the EMB as a space not only for dissemination and reflection but also for entertainment and diversity, such as its well-known Shibari shows.

You can check the days, schedules, and information about all activities on the EMB's Instagram @eroticmuseumbarcelona and on the website www.erotica-museum.com. Also by writing to the email info@erotica-museum.com.