Toni Batllori's art transcends the cartoons in an exhibition that reveals another side of the creator.

There are works of art that remain hidden behind walls and display cases, confined to private collections and reserved for the eyes of a select few. The art of Toni Batllori (Barcelona, ​​1951 – Teià, 2023), on the other hand, has always been open and accessible, accessible to all. For decades, his cartoons were discovered by readers who opened the pages of this newspaper every morning, where Ninots was published, the graphic humor strip that wittily addressed current political events. Today, his art is also discovered by those who cross the intersection of Diagonal and Rambla del Poblenou, where the Monument to Lost Illusions ( Malip ) stands, a testament to his creativity.

Batllori was passionate about his work as a cartoonist, but his artistic vocation and output went far beyond that. “When he set his mind to something, he wouldn't stop until he achieved it,” recalls his daughter, Marta Batllori. This lesser-known side of him can be discovered starting Wednesday at the La Unió Municipal Cultural Center in Teià (Maresme), with the exhibition "Spicy. The Other Cares of the Ninotaire ." With free admission, the exhibition is presented as the first retrospective to reveal Batllori not only as a cartoonist, but also as the well-rounded artist he was.

The exhibition offers a guided tour on September 20 and a self-caricature workshop on October 5.

Conceived by Marta and her brother Enric and curated with Maria Federico, her father's partner, the exhibition brings together sketches, prints, paintings, and sculptures; from drawings published in newspapers and magazines to one of the last works he worked on: thirteen wooden boxes of varying sizes, which when opened reveal poetic acts and displays of ingenuity. In one box, a pair of worn, scribbled hands delicately hold a photograph depicting the harsh reality of war around the world. In another, a headless doll stands upright on leaden feet, while in Si voler és poder, volar és podar (If to Fly Is Power, to Fly Is to Prune) , irony is represented by a tree trunk with branches made of paper airplanes. The exhibition also shows the entire creative process that led Batllori to conceive the sculpture Malip , showing models, sketches, and photographs of the work's development.

Batllori submitted his last cartoon to the newspaper just hours before his death. “He was passionate about his work,” recalls his partner, Maria Federico. “I always admired his courage to bring to life whatever crossed his mind.”

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The exhibition will be complemented by a guided tour on September 20 at 12 noon and a self-caricature workshop on October 5 at 10 a.m. In addition, the Ca l'Antiga art gallery will be simultaneously exhibiting (from September 19 to October 19) other sculptures and drawings by the artist, along with his book project , "Draw a Potato ." "Toni held a lot of caricature workshops, and we always told him it had to be in a book, and he ended up publishing it. The idea was to start with a doodle and turn it into something else. Even if you didn't know how to draw, he would teach you how."

Batllori managed the Batllori Fund in Teià, which houses his and his father's works, and actively participated in exhibitions and artistic projects. In 2004, he received the Gat Perich International Humor Award and in 2007, he was honored with the Ciutat de Barcelona Communication Award. With minimalist, spontaneous, and expressive artistry, he painted portraits of political figures such as Jordi Pujol, Artur Mas, and Carles Puigdemont.