16 EXHIBITIONS TO BE HELD IN SPAIN IN 2023 TO MARK 50 YEARS SINCE DEATH OF PICASSO

Monday 5 December: 2023 marks 50 years since the death of renowned Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. To celebrate his creativity and the influence his works had on the artistic heritage in Spain, 16 exhibitions will be held in the cities around Spain.

There will be eight exhibitions held in Madrid, three in Malaga, three in Barcelona, one in A Coruña and one in Bilbao. These exhibitions will highlight the artistic trajectory of Picasso throughout Spain and how his works were inspired by each region.  

MALAGA

Picasso was born in Malaga and spent the first ten years of his life living in the city. Although he never returned after the Civil War, the city made a lasting impression on the artist, and frequently featured in the pieces he made throughout his lifetime.

Exhibitions:

• Picasso: Matter and Body (8 August 23 – 10 September 23) – Picasso Museum Malaga
• The echo of Picasso (2 October 23 – 24 March 24) – Picasso Museum Malaga
• The ages of Pablo (21 June 23 – 1 January 24) – Picasso Birthplace Museum

A CORUÑA

Picasso went on to spend four of his formative years in the Galician city of A Coruña moving there when he was nine years old. It was here that he attended the Fine Arts school and gave his first exhibition. There were a number of pivotal moments that the artist experienced in A Coruña, such as the death of his sister, that are said to have influenced his style and artwork.

Exhibition:

• Picasso white in blue memory (23 April 23 – 23 June 23) – A Coruña Museum of Fine Arts

BARCELONA

At the age of 13, Picasso went on to attend the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona where his father taught. The architecture of the city, such as Gaudi’s naturalism and modernism, is said to have greatly inspired him. It provided him with the opportunity to live alongside brilliant artists that left their mark on his art: Ramón Casas, Santiago Rusiñol and Carles Casagemas.

Exhibitions:

• But is it possible that they could have done this before me? Picasso and Spanish ceramics in the Museu del Disseny de Barcelona collections (1 June 22 – 30 September 23) – Picasso Museum in Barcelona
• Daniel – Henry Kahnweiler (18 November 22 – 19 March 23) – Picasso Museum in Barcelona
• Miró – Picasso (19 October 23 – 24 February 24) – Picasso Museum in Barcelona

MADRID

In 1897, Picasso started at the Fine Arts Academy in Madrid and during his time in the city he found inspiration in the great classics in the Prado Museum, such as El Greco.

Exhibitions:

• Julio González, Pablo Picasso and the Dematerialisation of sculpture (23 September 22 – 8 January 23) – Fundación Mapfre
• Picasso, Masterpieces from the Nahmad Collection (4 April 23 – 2 July 23) – Royal Academy Fine Arts
• Picasso / Chanel (11 October 22 – 15 January 23) – Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
• The last Picasso. 1963 – 1972 (19 May 23 – 17 September 23) – La Casa Encendida
• Picasso – El Greco (13 June 23 – 17 September) – Prado Museum
• Picasso. The sacred and the profane (4 September 23 – 14 January 24) – Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum
• Picasso vs. Velázquez (September – November 23) – Casa de Veláquez
• Picasso 1906: the great transformation (14 November 23 – 4 March 24) – Reina Sofía National Art Centre

BILBAO

Bilbao, one of the main Spanish cities with close ties to the art world, will be celebrating the Picasso Year with an exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum.

Exhibition:

• Picasso: Matter and Body (29 September 23 – 14 January 24) – Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Picasso's legacy can be experienced throughout Spain. For more information visit Spain’s Official Tourism site here.