Malaga's new Pompidou Centre is only the Beginning

Malaga's mayor, Francisco de la Torre, and Alain Seban, the president of the Paris-based museum, were present at press conference that revealed the plans for Malaga's new Pompidou Centre. Malaga, so Alan Seban stated, was the "launch pad" for the Pompidou Centre's expansion into other parts of France and the rest of the world.

The museum's president explained: “In Malaga, we are going to invent a new concept of a museum.”  

The new Malaga-based centre would be very much a "laboratory", he said, an experimental place where the museum will be testing new approaches to the centre's immediate neighbourhood, how to interact better with the public, especially with a younger audience, and the museum will take into account the existing fabric of culture and attitude towards art in its host country.

A new Concept held back by old Worries?

Since 2008, when Malaga's mayor started discussions about the potential opening of a Pompidou Centre in the Spanish city, the project has been hotly debated and speculation is rife about what the permanent exhibits are going to be. Also present at the official presentation were Juan Manuel Bonet, the director of the Cervantes Institute in Paris, and the director of the Picasso Foundation, José María Luna.

Forming part of the El Cubo building in Malaga Port, the Centro Pompidou Malaga will be created under the watchful eye of the mayor - literally, for the mayor's office is located just opposite. Since the Paris museum and the municipal coffers of Malaga City are sharing the cost for the project and its ongoing running costs, the major will be keen to see progress made and to ensure that this is a fruitful long-term relationship. So far it is unclear for how long the Centro Pompidou Malaga will occupy El Cubo and what will actually be presented to the public.

Five Year Plan

The longevity of the project is just one of many stumbling blocks en route, for the president of the Paris museum has once again stressed that there must be a cut-off date, if the Pompidou Centre is to move on to other locations in the world.

So far the first five years have been confirmed, allowing residents of the Costa del Sol and tourists visiting Malaga to enjoy the wonderful masterpieces of  the permanent exhibits. At the present time there is a proposed extension of a further five years under discussion.

The ultimate plan, however, is to set up a global network of museums to give everyone a chance to see some of the world's most famous art works. Malaga tourists and people with a permanent home at the Costa del Sol will be able to visit at least one temporary exhibition per year in addition to the collection of ca. 80 artworks on permanent display. At the press conference the Paris museum's spokesman hinted at up to three temporary exhibitions per year.

Capturing the Public's Imagination

The president also revealed that Brigitte Leal, the associate director of the George Pompidou Centre, who has already worked on various projects hosted by Malaga's hugely successful Picasso Museum, will be involved with the setting up of the Centro Pompidou Malaga. The Spanish Pompidou Centre would be organised into several different sections, the president confirmed at the press conference.

Titled "Metamorphosis", "The Political Body", "The Body in Sections", "Faceless Man", "Self Portraits", "The Workshop of Brancusi", the permanent exhibits would also include a section on the architecture of the Pompidou, which is inspired by the building artist Renzo Piano designed for his headquarters in Paris.

The Malaga branch of the Pompidou is going to mirror its counterpart in Paris, the museum's director confirmed, where the famous art collection displays masterpieces created between 1905 and the present day.

Among the 80 or so works will be a self portrait by Francis Bacon, painted in 1971, and "The Frame", painted by Frida Khalo in 1938, as well as Picasso's "The flowered Hat" from 1940 and "Women in an Interior" painted by Fernand Léger in 1922.

The various art collections already displayed in Malaga have been an enormous tourist draw so far, with the Picasso Museum at the forefront. Art lovers living in Marbella and Malaga will be eagerly anticipating the opening of the Centro Pompidou Malaga early in 2015.