ARCHIVED - Benidorm hosts travelling Picasso exhibition
'Picasso: The journey of Guernica' will be on display in the popular Marina Baixa resort in Alicante province until September 1
One of the most famous paintings of the 20th Century, 'Picasso: The journey of Guernica' is being celebrated in Benidorm, one of the venues selected to host a travelling exhibition making its way across Spain, organised by the La Caixa Foundation and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia.
The exhibition, situated next to Levante Beach at the Avenida de Europa junction, was opened to the public on Wednesday, July 28, and details the history and travels of the work of art, painted in Paris in 1937 before arriving in Spain in 1981 where it was initially displayed at the Museo del Prado in Madrid, before being moved to the Reina Sofia museum.
"We are delighted Benidorm has been chosen to host the exhibition, particularly during the summer months when the largest number of people will have the opportunity to enjoy and find out more about the Spanish artist Picasso and the Guernica", says Benidorm mayor, Toni Perez.
Picasso's Guernica, a black and white oil painting, depicts the tragedies of war and the suffering it inflicts upon individuals, particularly innocent civilians, and has become an anti-war symbol, and an embodiment of peace.
The exhibition is made up of information panels, photographs, newspaper clippings and videos clips, all detailing its journey from when Pablo Picasso began to forge the painting's idea in 1937 until the present day.
The Spanish State acquired the Guernica from Picasso in 1937 but due to the outbreak of World War II, the artist decided that the painting would remain in the custody of the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA) until the end of the war.
But in 1958 Picasso renewed the loan of the painting to MoMA for an indefinite period, until democratic freedoms were restored in Spain, and it arrived in Madrid in 1981.
The exhibition can be visited from Monday to Sunday, 11am to 2pm and from 6pm to midnight. Group visits and guided tours can also be arranged by calling 900 801 137.
IMAGE: Ayuntamiento de Benidorm