‘The End’: Rodney Smith Exhibition in Málaga Brings Together 62 Photographs

Rodney Smith Arrives at Centro Cultural La Malagueta

Málaga has added a new exhibition to its cultural calendar with the opening of ‘The End’, dedicated to Rodney Smith, one of the most distinctive figures in contemporary American photography.

The exhibition runs from 22 September 2026 to 31 January 2027 in the exhibition gallery at Centro Cultural La Malagueta, located at Gate 9 of the city’s bullring.

Its 62 photographs provide an overview of the artist’s creative development across several decades. Twenty of the images have never previously been exhibited in Spain.

Impossible Settings, Elegance and Humour

Rodney Smith’s photographs are recognised for their carefully arranged compositions, black-and-white imagery, elegantly dressed figures and distinctive combination of humour and mystery.

The exhibition features figures suspended in mid-air, hats that appear to defy gravity, silent landscapes and formally dressed characters placed in unexpected surroundings.

Although the photographs begin with familiar objects and situations, Smith rearranges them to create visual stories. His use of perspective, architecture, movement and carefully positioned subjects places each scene somewhere between reality and a dream.

Twenty Photographs Never Previously Shown in Spain

Alongside some of Smith’s most recognisable images, ‘The End’ includes lesser-known works that reveal a more personal side of the photographer.

The exhibition has been curated by Leo Tena, who developed a personal and creative relationship with Smith following the photographer’s first exhibition in Spain in 2010.

This connection has helped shape a display that goes beyond the artist’s most popular works, offering visitors an insight into his creative process, visual sensitivity and consistent artistic language.

Who Was Rodney Smith?

Rodney Smith was born in New York in 1947. He studied English Literature and Religious Studies at the University of Virginia before completing postgraduate studies in Theology at Yale University.

While at Yale, he studied under photographer Walker Evans. The experience influenced Smith’s understanding of the camera as an instrument capable of documenting reality while also transforming it through visual poetry.

His career spanned four decades, during which he developed a distinctive artistic identity, published several books and exhibited in museums and galleries around the world.

Smith died in 2016. The exhibition’s arrival in Málaga coincides with the tenth anniversary of his death and provides a new opportunity to discover his work.

Dates, Opening Hours and Location

The exhibition is located in the Gate 9 gallery at Centro Cultural La Malagueta, with access from Paseo de Reding.

• Dates: 22 September 2026 to 31 January 2027.
• Tuesday to Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
• Monday: closed.
• Admission: free.
• Address: Gate 9, La Malagueta bullring, 8 Paseo de Reding, Málaga.