2001-2003

2001
Travels to Paris, where the Bibliothèque Nationale de France presents a retrospective exhibition of his graphic work, Antoni Tàpies ou la Poétique de la matière. In the course of the year, selections of his recent work are shown in Zurich (Galerie Lelong), London (Waddington Galleries), Madrid (Galería Soledad Lorenzo) and Barcelona (Galeria Toni Tàpies). Solo exhibitions in Madrid, Buenos Aires, The Hague, Helsinki, Millau, Geneva and Girona.

2002
Designs the poster for Barcelona’s Festes de la Mercè. He is awarded the Premio Nacional de Grabado y Arte Gráfico (National Engraving and Graphic Art Prize) by the Calcografía Nacional and the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Madrid. In Antibes for the opening of his anthological exhibition Tàpies. La peinture au corps à corps (Musée Picasso). The Fundació Antoni Tàpies in Barcelona presents Tàpies. Escriptura material. Llibres, a retrospective exhibition of his work in the field of the collector’s book. The exhibition Tàpies. Certeses sentidesis held throughout the year at Rabat, Tangiers and Casablanca, and later travels to Tunisia. Solo exhibitions in Lisbon, Porto, Granada, Madrid, Cascais, Fuendetodos, Pamplona, Oviedo and Paris.

2003
In Madrid he attends the opening of the exhibition Tàpies. Escritura material. Libros (La Casa Encendida).The exhibition Antoni Tàpies. Cos i llenguatge, organised by the Fundació Antoni Tàpies and the Diputació de Barcelona, begins a tour around different towns in Catalonia. The President of the French Republic appoints him to the rank of Commander in the Order of the Legion of Honour. Awarded the Premio Velázquez de las Artes Plásticas by the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Cultura. In Lleida, he attends the opening of the new Centre d’Art la Panera, which begins its activities with the exhibition L’univers obert d’Antoni Tàpies. He produces the poster for the international symposium Jorge Semprún o las espirales de la memoria, organised by the Universitat de Girona and International Writer in Prison Day, commissioned by the Catalan Centre of the PEN Club. In Valencia, he attended the tribute paid him on the occasion of his 80th birthday by the Universitat de València and the Tres i Quatre publishing house. The Kunsthalle in Emden (Germany) presented the exhibition Tàpies. Werke auf Papier 1943-2003. Alfabet Tàpies, the documentary by Daniel Hernández, was released at the Festival Internacional de Cinema de Catalunya (Sitges). He was invested doctor honoris causa by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Solo exhibitions in Paris, Barcelona, New York, London and Madrid.