Málaga, the vibrant coastal city on Spain’s renowned Costa del Sol, is well-known for its sun-drenched beaches, lively cultural scene (particularly the annual nine-day August festival, Feria de Malaga), and for being the birthplace of iconic artist Pablo Picasso. For decades now, Picasso’s legacy has been the primary draw for art lovers visiting this city. The Museo Picasso Málaga is considered the heart of Málaga’s art scene, housing over 280 works by the city’s beloved son—while not the biggest collection, it is perhaps the most personal. The museum was established to honor Picasso’s wish for his work to be displayed in his hometown, with the lion’s share of works on permanent display having been donated by his family members. The Museo Casa Natal, the home where the artist was born, is generally another must-see on the Málaga visitors’ itinerary, as it offers a more intimate look into the famed artist’s life with not only his work on display but his father José Ruiz y Blasco’s, as well.
Yet it would be wrong to think Málaga has little to offer art lovers aside from a journey through Picasso’s life. In recent decades, Málaga has undergone a profound cultural transformation, with over 100 million euros invested into the arts. It is now home to several influential museums and galleries, including the Centre Pompidou’s first branch outside of France. Today, Málaga’s art scene is vibrant, ever-changing and perhaps the most active in giving Andalusian artists, both established and emerging, their well-deserved laurels. There is much here to see, aside from Picasso.
The Best Art Galleries in Málaga
La Galería de Arte Benedito
Located in the Málaga Center, only a minute’s walk from the Picasso Museum, is one of the oldest and best-known privately owned art galleries in the city. When Manuel Sánchez Benedito opened the gallery in 1985, decades before the city’s most famous museums were established, the city center was considered an “artistic desert.” Benedito, a devoted art lover, wished to rectify that.
La Galería de Arte Benedito has hosted hundreds of exhibitions over the years. It showcases both established and emerging artists. For those interested in relatively under-the-radar Spanish painters (the likes of Miguel Linares, Juan Tenorio or Malagueño Robles de la Cruz), the gallery is a fantastic place. The displays are spread across several rooms over two stories and span multiple mediums: paintings, graphics, sculptures, ceramics, etc.
Galería Taller Gravura
Both an art gallery and a workshop, Taller Gravura is the brainchild of Paco Aguilar, the Málagan multidisciplinary artist who created the space in 1981 in collaboration with Mariana Martin. Taller Gravura regularly hosts exhibitions, typically focused on local Malagan artists who work in graphic arts, prints and sculpture. While the collection on view changes often, there’s also a permanent exhibition with several pieces by Enrique Brinkmann, María José Vargas Machuca, Ángel Luis Calvo Capa and Aguilar himself.
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But the creative space is best known for its work in preserving and spreading Intaglio Engraving (Chalcography). Most of Aguilar’s works on display are Intaglio Engravings, which he is known for, and Galería Taller Gravura regularly hosts workshops and training sessions sharing various techniques in the discipline.
JMgalería | Gallery Javier Marín
Established outside of the city center in 2001, JMgalería, or Gallery Javier Marín, is particularly known for its focus on plastic and audiovisual art. The gallery has hosted multiple exhibitions featuring works in lesser-explored mediums, concepts and forms of art, including contemporary language art, and occupies a large, open-space exhibit area that’s divided into different zones to accommodate the demands of various art forms. Which isn’t to say that JMgalería limits itself in the work it displays. According to its mission statement, the gallery exists to spotlight contemporary Spanish artists in general and Málagan artists in particular. When the occasion arises, it displays works in more traditional mediums like paint and graphics. Recently the gallery brought together an impressive exhibit of the work of modern Málagan artist Francisco Peinado that spanned the last quarter century of his career.
CAC Málaga
Situated in the historic building of the old Málaga Wholesale Market, just a short walk from the iconic Alcazaba and Roman Theater, CAC Málaga (Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga) was established in 2003 as an attempt by the city council of Málaga to shine a spotlight on Spanish, and more specifically Andalusian, contemporary art. However, many international artists working in paint, sculpture, installation and mixed media have held exhibitions here. CAC Málaga spans multiple spacious, light-filled exhibition halls designed to fit artwork of varying scopes, from large canvases to towering installations. The gallery frequently organizes cultural events like artist talks, workshops and educational initiatives, acting as a multi-purpose hub of modern art in the city.
Recent program highlights have included retrospectives of acclaimed Spanish artists Gerardo Delgado and Jorge Galindo, German artist Gunther Forg and Welsh artist James Rielly. The gallery also frequently showcases emerging talent and has hosted the first solo exhibitions of many young contemporary artists, including Nigerian Atanda Quadri Adebayo and Angeleno Mario Ayala.
Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga
Avid art lovers are likely already familiar with the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, home to the renowned art collection of Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza. The Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga houses the personal collection of the Baron’s widow, Carmen, and is no less impressive.
Housed in the 16th-century Palacio de Villalón, the exhibition space spans three expansive halls that hold a permanent collection roughly divided into five thematic parts. The 200-work collection consists primarily of 19th-century Spanish paintings, with a focus on work by Andalusian artists. Some of the most notable names on show include Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, known for his expressive portraits and vibrant landscapes, Ignacio Zuloaga, whose art is heavily influenced by traditional Andalusian culture and folklore, and Francisco de Zurbarán, the so-called “Spanish Caravaggio,” known for his religious paintings.
The museum also has a dedicated gallery space that hosts temporary exhibitions, both showcasing emerging artists and displaying retrospectives of established modern classicists.
