MÁLAGA, SPAIN.- The Kings of Spain inaugurated yesterday the Museo Picasso de Málaga, a permanent collection of 204 works of art with which the artist returns to his natal town after 122 years of his birth and 30 years after his death.

The creation of the Museo Picasso Málaga would not have been possible without the active participation on the one hand of the artist’s heirs, Christine and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, motivated by their conviction that Picasso would have approved of the creation of a permanent exhibition space devoted to his work in his native city, and on the other of the regional government of Andalusia who offered their total support. The latter not only appreciated the importance of establishing the connection between Picasso and his native city in a permanent and fully-articulated way, but has extended every assistance in formalising the commitment and realising it in the best possible manner.

This desire on the part of the artist’s heirs to re-establish Picasso’s links with Málaga has two important precedents: in 1992, Christine Ruiz-Picasso, wife of the artist’s eldest son Paulo, enthusiastically headed the support shown by the heirs in the realisation of the exhibition Picasso clásico which took place in Málaga. This was among the most important exhibitions to be devoted to the artist in Spain and attracted international attention. Two years later, in 1994, Christine Ruiz-Picasso made a further significant step forward when she offered the temporary loan of her collection to Malaga, resulting in the exhibition Picasso. Primera mirada. Colección Christine Ruiz-Picasso. The success of this exhibition resulted in its subsequent showing in Seville in 1995 and then in Nîmes. These two exhibitions were organised by Carmen Giménez and sponsored by the Regional Government of Andalusia. Their quality and the attention which they attracted certainly created a favourable climate for the consideration of a permanent representation of the artist’s work in Malaga. However, the most difficult issue still remained to be resolved, namely how to reconcile Christine and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso’s desire to make an important donation of works by the artist with the requirement for a museum that could offer the necessary conditions in which to house them. The regional government fully responded to such a generous gesture and the two parties collaborated on the realisation of an ambitious project of appropriate quality. The initiative was at the outset largely taken by Christine Ruiz-Picasso who then was seconded by her son (Picasso’s grandson) Bernard, also winning the firm support of the current Regional Minister for Culture, Carmen Calvo. Since then, the latter has consistently overseen the complex and lengthy process in all its political, legal, administrative and economic aspects that has now resulted in the reality of the Museo Picasso Málaga. Of course this process has involved the participation of numerous other figures, notably Carmen Giménez, director of the Museo Picasso Málaga Project.

The donation made by Christine and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso is the key-stone to the entire project, as clearly the creation of a museum without a collection would be absurd, and furthermore given that Picasso is the most highly-valued 20th century artist on the international art market, it would be impossible to buy a worthy collection of his work. Without recounting the details of the long and complex negotiations which have brought about this remarkable bequest, suffice to say that the happy result has been that the Museum will open its doors with a collection consisting of the spectacular total of 204 works. Of these, a large number are outright donations: Christine Ruiz-Picasso has donated 133 works (14 oil paintings, 9 sculptures, 44 drawings, a sketchbook from the Royan series containing a further 36 drawings, 58 prints and 7 ceramics; for his part Bernard Ruiz-Picasso has donated 22 works (5 oil paintings, 2 drawings, 10 prints and 5 ceramics). In addition, this impressive group is further expanded by an additional agreement with the aforementioned heirs of a free, renewable ten-year loan which adds a further 49 works (23 oil paintings, 2 sculptures, 7 drawings, 5 prints and 12 ceramics). While any financial assessment of the value of a group of works of this size by Picasso has to be conditional and therefore difficult to state exactly, a valuation carried out by the leading international auction house Sotheby’s has estimated a figure of around 176 million Euros. Whatever the case, it should again be emphasised that even if such a quantity of funding was available, it would be impossible to assemble a collection such as that which now comprises the Museo Picasso Málaga, as the international art market could not offer anything like the quantity or type of works made available by Christine and Bernard Ruiz-Picasso.

Finally, with regard to how the donation has been structured, it should be noted that two foundations with different trustees have been established in joint relation to the Museo Picasso Málaga. Their stated mission is to guarantee adherence to the donors’ stipulations. One foundation is the titular owner of the collection while the other is that of the building in which it is housed, while both respond to the requirement that Picasso’s works are conserved, exhibited, studied and made available under the terms of the conditions agreed with the donors.

As a home for the collection and hence the venue for the new Museum, the Regional Government of Andalusia acquired the Palacio de los Condes de Buenavista (Palace of the Counts of Buenavista), a historic building typical of 16th century Andalusian secular architecture with its blend of Renaissance and Mudéjar elements. In addition to its evident historical and artistic merits, the building is also excellently located in the centre of the old quarter of Málaga. The palace was commissioned by the paymaster of the royal fleet, Diego de Cazalla, and built between 1516 and 1542. The Palacio de Buenavista was declared a national monument in 1939. In addition to these factors and to its suitability – once it has been restored and re-modelled – for its new function, the building also conforms to Christine Ruiz-Picasso’s stated wish to find a typically Andalusian palace such as this building. While the acquisition of a new function transforms and revitalises an old building, this does not mean that at times unforeseen problems do not arise. What was known from the outset was that the space available in the Palacio de Buenavista would have to be exceeded, above all if the new institution was to have the amenities and services required of a modern museum, such as a library and archives, auditorium, educational department, offices, etc. The trustees of the museum’s two foundations therefore considered it absolutely necessary to acquire various adjacent spaces. These would be adapted to house the facilities mentioned above. In addition, this expansion would also help to revive this old part of the city and prevent its decline. A series of new buildings have thus been constructed to house the temporary exhibition rooms, the restoration studio, the bookshop and the offices. Including these additional areas, the total surface area of the Museo Picasso Málaga will cover 89,350 square feet.  The required archaeological explorations were carried out beneath the Palace with the gratifying result that Phoenician, Roman and Nasrid remains were discovered. The decision was immediately made to complete these excavations and thoroughly investigate any findings. Not only has this been done but these discoveries have also been incorporated into the new layout of the building and can be seen by the public in the company of Picasso’s works. The result will marvellously highlight the centuries old cultural heritage of the city of Malaga.

This complex project of planning, design, restructuring and re-modelling of the building has been carried by the architectural studio of Gluckman Mayner Architects and Cámara/Martín Delgado Arquitectos working with the engineering firm ARUP. The lighting of the Palace exterior has been designed by Isometrix. The technical aspects of fitting-out, humidity problems, air conditioning, lighting and security were entrusted to some of the leading international specialists in these fields such as Ippolito Massari, Roberto Bergamo and Paul Schwartzbaum.

This prestigious group of architects, engineers and other specialists has worked under the direction of Carmen Giménez, Project Director, and the trustees of the two foundations that oversee the collection and the buildings that comprise the museum.