The Leather Art Museum of Vic was inaugurated in 1996 in the former Convent del Carme (18th century), it was acquired, restored, and ceded to the Government of Catalonia by Andreu Colomer Munmany. The museum houses a collection of decorative leather objects accumulated by Colomer Munmany since 1940, with pieces from all over the world dating from the 13th to the 20th centuries.
Researching the museum involves studying the figure of the tanner Andreu Colomer Munmany and the absolute decontextualization of the objects. This businessman amassed enormous wealth during his lifetime and, thanks to his network of clients, was able to control markets and maintain considerable political influence, even with the support of figures such as Francisco Franco and the president of the Government of Catalonia Jordi Pujol.
The history of the MAP is a clear example of a type of collecting present in other museums, where private collections are made public, driven by individuals with economic and political influence such as Colomer Munmany. Our research in the museum’s archive documents this process and the coloniality of the collection and of the institution itself.
