© Sucesión Pablo Picasso, VEGAP, Madrid, 2023
Pablo Picasso, one of the most influential and iconic artists of the 20th century, died on 8 April 1973. Picasso left an indelible mark on the history of painting and sculpture and extended his curiosity to other disciplines such as ceramics and poetry. Today he continues to be a point of reference in contemporary creation. This year, the Spanish and French governments have promoted a project, Celebration Picasso 2023-1973, which commemorates the artist with more than 50 national and international exhibitions and events.
On 8 April, the main museums and organisations in Spain, but also some international institutions, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the artist's death and paid tribute to his legacy with activities, events and other initiatives, as well as numerous messages on social networks.
Picasso Museum Málaga:
The Picasso Museum in Málaga commemorated one of Picasso's most important facets, his commitment to peace and his opposition to war. A white dove, a universally known symbol of peace thanks to Picasso, was the protagonist of this eulogy promoted by the museum.
Museu Picasso Barcelona:
From Barcelona, a video tribute was published on Instagram in which it reminded that one does not need to travel far to keep the artist in mind: the different images of the recording testified that this is the only one of the museums in the world, created by the express wish of the Malaga-born artist, which contains a collection that shows the personal and artistic evolution of Picasso, from his first pieces of his youth to his consolidated maturity.
In addition to this message, the Museu Picasso Barcelona also echoed the visit made by the Minister of Culture and Sport, Miquel Iceta, on 8 April, on the occasion of this 50th anniversary.
Museo Casa Natal:
Published a series of posts on Instagram over the weekend, including newspaper front pages from the date of his death or other articles, such as that of "the flowers of Málaga", which had been moved by Miguel Alcobendas, director of Exhibitions and Publications of the Diputación de Málaga, to the château de Vauvenargues on 10 April, the day of his burial. The last of the posts details the artist's last moments with his wife Jaqueline.
Reina Sofía Museum:
The Reina Sofía Museum organised a screening of the documentary Guernica: The Last Exile on 29 March, a week before the anniversary.
On the other hand, the museum remained active through its social networks, where it announced the future exhibition "Picasso 1906. The Great Transformation", which will take place from 14 November 2023 to 4 March 2024 and is part of the Picasso Celebration 1973-2023. The exhibition aims to reveal facets of Picasso's work that connect with themes of current interest, such as the construction of the body, cultural diversity and the Nachleben.
The Reina Sofía also released an interview with Pablo Picasso in 1966 and a reminder of the past exhibition of Guernica in 2017, Pity and Terror in Picasso. El camino a Guernica, which included more than 170 works by the painter from Malaga from both its permanent collection and other institutions.
Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum:
The Thyssen museum uploaded a series of photographs showing the work carried out by those who preserve the works and which, as the museum itself said, allows "us to get closer to the miracle of his painting: the museum's restorers and conservators".
Museum of Fine Arts of A Coruña:
A Coruña recently opened Picasso blanco en el recuerdo azul, an exhibition that can be seen until 25 June and which shows a lesser-known aspect of Picasso's early training: his years in A Coruña. To promote the exhibition and the anniversary, he published four interviews with the curators, both on his Instagram and on Youtube.
On their networks they also uploaded an image of one of the ceramic pieces made by Pablo Picasso in 1953, entitled Woman of a bearded man, which is on display in the museum.
Ministry of Culture and Sport:
The Minister of Culture and Sport, Miquel Iceta, visited the Museu Picasso in Barcelona. In addition, the Government of Spain and the Ministry of Culture and Sport shared a video, in which the Minister Miquel Iceta stressed that "Picasso overflowed his creativity, projected it in his life, in his work, and left us a valuable legacy that I invite you to know, disseminate and care for".
Minister Miquel Iceta also wrote a message on his profile: "Today, 8 April, marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Pablo Picasso, a universal artist who overflowed his creativity, projected it in his life, in his work, and left us a valuable legacy that I invite you to get to know, disseminate and care for".
Finally, the Ministry of Culture also reminded his followers that, although 8 April is the official anniversary of the artist's death, the Celebration Picasso 1973-2023 project pays tribute to the artist throughout the year with exhibitions, events and other activities.
Ministry of Education:
The Ministry of Education also wanted to join in the celebration of Picasso with the launch of a website, called "Picasso fifty years later" and which includes didactic proposals for different stages, experiences of centres and current news.
Other museums and institutions in Spain have also published publications in honour of the artist, such as the Congreso de Diputados, Museo del Greco, Amigos Casa Natal, Horta, CCLaMalagueta, Archivo digital Cataluña, Málaga Turismo, Paisaje de la Luz, Museu Disseny, Cultura Comunidad de Madrid, La Casa Encendida y Cultura Xunta.
In the rest of the world:
Picasso has also been celebrated internationally by different museums and institutions, some participating in the Picasso Celebration 1973-2023 programme, such as The Mint Museum, Fondation Beyeler, Museo Picasso Münster, Senado de Italia o Guggenheim de Nueva York y otras que no, como Musee Goya Castres, Expo de Argentina, Museo Uruguay, Musee Vallauris y Turismo Vallauris, Museo Wuppertal, Museo Bucharest, Museo Picasso Münster, Museo Albertina, Fundazione Luigi Rovati, Fundación Klemm, Christie’s, Sotheby’s y Almine Rech,