In 2015, one of the most interesting facilities to promote contemporary art in Spain was created in Málaga. Under an agreement between the Spanish and French state authorities, the Centre Pompidou Malaga was opened.
A piece of France in Spain
Centre Pompidou Malaga is one of the most visited cultural institutions in the area. It is the first foreign venue created by the eminent French museum Centre Pompidou, which was the brainchild of the then French president Georges Pompidou.
The story of the creation of the Spanish branch is very interesting. Well, Georges Pompidou appeared in 2008 during a friendly football match between France and Spain at the Rosaleda stadium in Malaga, where the mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, and the French ambassador were present. During the talks, they acknowledged that the establishment of a French cultural institution in Spain would be an excellent way to strengthen ties between the two countries. After years of agreement at central levels, the official opening of the CPM took place in 2015.
The original agreement – between representatives of both countries – stipulated that the cooperation would last for five years, but the results quickly exceeded expectations. Already in its first year of operation, Centre Pompidou Malaga received 250,000 visitors, so in 2018 it was decided to extend the cooperation. Thus, a new contract was signed, which guarantees the operation of the CPM until 2025.
Original form
Centre Pompidou Malaga is located in one of the city’s most iconic buildings, located between Piers 1 and 2 in the city’s harbour. The entire exhibition complex was designed by the Municipal Planning Department in collaboration with architects Javier Pérez de la Fuente and Juan Antonio Marín Malavé.
The building has a surface area of more than 6,000 square metres, where we can find permanent and temporary exhibitions. At level 0, there is a public area for temporary exhibitions, while at level -1 there is an auditorium and exhibitions of the Centre Pompidou Malaga’s permanent collection. The most striking feature of the building is the cube-shaped skylight on the roof, made of metal and coloured glass. It is from this that the name El Cubo derives .
Exhibitions and displays
In over 2,000 square metres, visitors can admire the works of art that make up the museum’s permanent exhibition. The whole is divided into five thematic areas, presenting works by some of the most eminent artists in Spanish, European and world history:
- self-portraits (including Kees van Dongen and Pierrick Sorin),
- political body (e.g. Peter Klasen, Sigalit Landau),
- body in pieces (including Tony Oursler, Pablo Picasso),
- the faceless man (Giorgio de Chirico, Li Yongbin, among others),
- metamorphoses (Rineke Dijkstra, Pablo Picasso, among others).
In addition, temporary exhibitions are regularly held in the buildings – around three a year. If you are going to Malaga and are a fan of modern art, be sure to visit the CPM website, where you will find a schedule of current exhibitions.
