“Running on emptiness.” “Be my dopamine.” “I was so high all I could do was concentrate on not dying.” These introspective expressions coupled with imaginative shapes and achromatic contour drawings line the walls of Moco Museum in Barcelona. The integrated art forms come from the mind and hands of English musician Robbie Williams, who delves into the visual arts in his second exhibition with the institution, on view through November 20.
Beginning his artistic career as a decorated musician, Williams has opened a new chapter in his creative endeavors, stepping into the role of visual artist with his second exhibit, Confessions of a Crowded Mind, which is also the first one in Spain. This collection of never-before-seen artworks pays homage to the daily mental struggles that many people face.
The multi-talented individual arrived at Moco Museum Barcelona on June 20 for the opening night of his display. Among champagne glasses and the current contemporary exhibits at Moco, including the works of Banksy and Guillermo Lorca, Williams mingled with the evening’s guests and shared the purpose of his most recent work.
“My work upstairs, if you come and have a look at it, is for the dyslexics, the ADHD, the depressives, the socially awkward, the vulnerable, the mentally ill; for people who have been challenged in this lifetime, which I think that everybody on the planet is right now,” Williams said. “I’m just trying to figure out what it all means and be the right size within myself and express myself through what I am doing here with Moco.”
The second floor of the museum is decorated with Williams’ pieces. At the top of the stairs, a large screen lines the wall, displaying a black and white graphic animation of individuals slowly walking. The exhibit’s first room contrasts this monochromatic display: Bright colored, geometric shapes are overlaid with words that seem depressing yet inspirational. The first poster-style piece that stuck out read, “Life is one big awkward moment.”
Confessions of a Crowded Mind’s signature motif that covers the walls is the notable “hello my name is:” tag. However, Williams’ version fills in the blank with phrases like, “woke but sleepy,” “not interested,” and “so lovable.” June 20 guests could pick up their own sticker or card and answer with an idiom more contemplative than their name.
Williams takes a modern approach to his fine art by combining words with graphic images. One piece consists of an illustration of a polar bear labeled, “Bi-Polar Bear,” accompanied by thought bubbles reading, “I think I fancy him” and “I think I fancy her.” Most of Williams’ compositions follow a theme of either monochromatic caricatures reminiscent of a comic book, or large, neon-like shapes. Perhaps this divergence of introspective, plain drawings and attention-grabbing figures is due to the dichotomy that Williams said exists within him: Although he seems extroverted to the average person, he is deeply introverted.
Comparing Confessions of Crowded Mind to his music career, Willaims explained that his visual art and sharing this part of himself through this medium feels more fun than music. “Well, there’s no stress here,” Williams said. “When I’m doing a show, there’s eighty thousand people looking at me, so all the time I’m just thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking and trying to keep it together and trying to give them what they want and entertain them and make sure that they get their money’s worth. And here, I’m just walking around looking at things I’ve drawn on my iPad.”
The exhibit was also interactive. Screens featured digital drawings with vulnerable words flashing on them. In one room, the walls were covered with a mind map connecting intricate thoughts that most people don’t want to say out loud. One bubble read, “my narcissism,” attached to others reading “I fucking hate you” and “your narcissism.”
With the apparent emotion that is portrayed in Williams’ art, this exhibit creates a space for individuals to embrace their mental complexities as a necessary part of life and can be observed at Moco Museum Barcelona until November 20.
