Tickets to visit Steve McCurry’s Icons exhibition
€ Precio: €9 / €16.
Duration: 1h30 (approximately).
Where? Palau Martorell.
Barcelona once again places itself on the map of major international exhibitions with Icons, the major retrospective dedicated to the renowned photographer Steve McCurry at the Palau Martorell. The exhibition, which can be visited until 6 September 2026, brings together around 150 photographs and offers an emotional and visual journey through more than forty years of the career of one of the world’s most influential documentary photographers.
Speaking about Steve McCurry inevitably brings to mind the famous image of the Afghan girl Sharbat Gula, which for decades has been one of the most recognisable portraits in the history of photography. However, Icons quickly demonstrates that McCurry’s work goes far beyond that historic National Geographic cover.
With Icons, Barcelona now pays tribute to a photographic vision that has shaped the way documentary photography has been understood over recent decades.
Who is Steve McCurry?
Born in Philadelphia, United States, Steve McCurry is one of the most influential figures in contemporary documentary photography. Before becoming an international reference, he studied film and photography at Pennsylvania State University, a background that can still be seen today in the narrative and almost cinematic character of many of his images.
His early professional years were marked by freelance work, although the major turning point came during his first trip to South Asia. What was initially intended to be a short stay ended up becoming a decisive experience both personally and artistically.
During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, McCurry crossed the border clandestinely to document the conflict from within. These photographs revealed a reality that had barely been covered by Western media and quickly established his name among the leading documentary photographers of the time.
Since then, his camera has travelled across dozens of countries and cultures, always with the same focus: placing the human being at the centre of the image. Beyond wars, borders or political contexts, McCurry’s work is characterised by a deeply human gaze focused on emotion, dignity and resilience.
Steve McCurry’s professional career
Over more than four decades of work, Steve McCurry has built a photographic archive that is now part of the collective visual history of documentary photography. His work has been published in leading international media and exhibited in museums and cultural centres around the world.
One of the photographers who most influenced him early on was Brian Brake, especially for his famous images of the Asian monsoons. This influence can be seen in McCurry’s sensitivity to atmosphere, light and colour in many of his works in Asia.
Although his name will forever be linked to the portrait of the Afghan girl Sharbat Gula, his career goes far beyond that iconic image. McCurry has documented for decades conflicts, cultural traditions, urban scenes and everyday moments in places such as India, Yemen, Japan, Cambodia and Kuwait.
In addition to publishing more than twenty books, he has received some of the most prestigious awards in international photography, including the Robert Capa Gold Medal, the distinction of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of France, and the Royal Photographic Society Centenary Medal for his lifetime achievement.
What awaits us at the Icons Steve McCurry exhibition
Beyond his most famous images, the exhibition allows visitors to understand the coherence of a career centred on the human condition. Each photograph seems to contain an open story, a moment suspended between beauty and the complexity of the contemporary world.
During the presentation of the exhibition, Steve McCurry himself described Icons as one of the most important exhibitions ever dedicated to his work. After experiencing it, it is hard to disagree.
The exhibition works as a visual journey through very different countries, cultures and settings: India, Afghanistan, Japan, Cambodia, Yemen and Kuwait are all portrayed through the same photographic sensitivity. Rather than documenting places, McCurry seems interested in capturing what connects people regardless of where they are.
The result is a deeply human exhibition, built from gazes, silences and small everyday gestures.
Sections of the Steve McCurry exhibition
One of the most interesting aspects of Icons is that the exhibition is not organised in a strictly chronological or thematic way. The Palau Martorell itself encourages visitors to experience it intuitively, following emotions and the visual connections that emerge between photographs.
However, the route does include several distinct spaces that help explain some of the main universes in McCurry’s work.
Monsoons and early journeys across Asia
The first part of the exhibition is directly linked to Brian Brake’s influence and to photographs related to Asian monsoons. These images help explain the birth of McCurry’s visual language and his fascination with the Asian continent.
Many of the elements that would define his career are already present here: vivid colour, atmospheric tension and the ability to turn seemingly everyday scenes into cinematic images.
Rain, movement and waiting become silent protagonists in many compositions.
Childhood perspectives
Childhood plays a very important role in the exhibition. The children photographed by McCurry appear in very different settings: dusty streets, improvised schools, conflict zones and small everyday moments of play.
However, the exhibition deliberately avoids easy visual impact. Although some images reflect hardship or poverty, the selection for Icons focuses on suggestion rather than explicit depiction of suffering.
There are particularly representative photographs of this approach, such as a young miner or scenes where fragility coexists with strong expressive power. The aim is not to dwell on suffering, but to evoke reflection and empathy.
Animals and the relationship with the environment
Another key section of the exhibition is dedicated to animals. Far from being anecdotal, animals are part of McCurry’s visual narrative and help illustrate the relationship between people and their environment.
Horses, monkeys, dogs and camels appear naturally integrated into scenes full of symbolism and humanity. Some of these images stand out for their ability to convey silence, resilience or vulnerability without resorting to explicit scenes.
Portraits that contain stories
If there is one element that defines Steve McCurry’s work, it is probably the portrait. His photographs have an extraordinary ability to freeze time and turn a gaze into a complete narrative.
In Icons, portraits act as emotional bridges between completely different cultures. Anonymous faces convey universal emotions and create a sense of closeness that makes his work instantly recognisable, even to those unfamiliar with documentary photography.
An exhibition that invites calm observation
In an age of rapid image consumption and visual overload, Steve McCurry’s exhibition proposes the opposite: to slow down.
Many of the photographs convey tension, sadness or harshness, but the selection avoids the most explicitly disturbing images. The aim is not to shock the visitor through suffering, but to create a more reflective and emotional experience.
This balance between visual beauty and human content is one of the exhibition’s greatest strengths.
McCurry’s images encourage viewers to observe complex situations through empathy rather than immediate impact. In this sense, Icons works both as a photographic exhibition and as an invitation to see the world differently.
Palau Martorell strengthens its cultural role in Barcelona
The exhibition is hosted at the Palau Martorell, one of Barcelona’s cultural venues that has gained prominence in recent years. Located in the historic city centre, the palace has become a reference point thanks to its commitment to major names in international art and photography.
The exhibition has been organised in collaboration with Artemisía and developed with the support of people close to the photographer, such as Biba Giacchetti, a key figure in shaping the exhibition’s concept.
During the press presentation, the role of the Palau Martorell team and cultural management figures such as Taragnà was also highlighted in consolidating this type of exhibition project in Barcelona.
Visitors can also find several Steve McCurry books in the museum shop, offering an opportunity to further explore his visual universe.
Practical information for visiting Pompeii in Barcelona
Exhibition dates and opening hours
€ How much does it cost to visit the Pompeii exhibition?
Reduced ticket: People over 65, retirees, youth card holders and/or students, large or single-parent families, unemployed visitors (with DARDO proof), and people with disabilities plus one companion.
Child ticket: Children aged 6 to 12.
Free entry: Children under 6, people with disabilities (including one companion), and official tour guides of Catalonia.
Groups (more than 10 people): €13 per person.
How long does the Icons exhibition visit take?
The exhibition includes 150 images distributed across the three floors of the Palau Martorell, so visiting time varies depending on your interest in each photograph. In general terms, the visit lasts around 60 to 90 minutes, and can reach up to 2 hours for those especially passionate about Steve McCurry’s work.
In which languages is the exhibition information available?
The information throughout the exhibition is available in Spanish and Catalan.
The documentary “The Pursuit of Color” to better understand McCurry’s life and work
For those who wish to go a step further after visiting the exhibition, the documentary The Pursuit of Color, directed by Denis Delestrac, is highly recommended.
The film reveals McCurry’s working method, his obsession with colour and light, and the more personal side of a photographer who has spent much of his life travelling the world.
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