Juan Muñoz and the canon: a process of recognition and validation

[EN] This article examines the process of consolidating the recognition of the sculptor Juan Mu & ntilde;oz (Madrid, 1953) within the contemporary art canon. Drawing on key contributions from literary theory and the sociology of art, the analysis focuses on the last decades of the twentieth century and the early twenty-first, and situates Mu & ntilde;oz's inclusion within a specific historical and cultural framework shaped by the complexities of the artistic field. The article begins by introducing key concepts regarding the dynamics of artistic canons and the principles that regulate their evolution. It then examines Mu & ntilde;oz's artistic oeuvre in relation to key indicators of canonicity, such as the national-universal axis, his aesthetic innovation and his engagement with tradition. The following section, structured around the artist's chronology, examines additional factors, including the accumulation of cultural and social capital and its strategic deployment within the artistic field. Finally, the article assesses the trajectory of Mu & ntilde;oz's recognition following his premature death in 2001, as well as the current state of his artistic legacy.