Ronda hosts the 15th Joaquín Peinado Lecture Series with six sessions on Andalusian art

Ronda will once again become a meeting point for those interested in Andalusian art and cultural heritage this November. Fundación Unicaja is organising the 15th edition of the Joaquín Peinado Lecture Series, a training programme made up of six sessions featuring researchers, museum professionals, curators and art history specialists.

The programme will take place from 5 to 24 November 2026 at the Fundación Unicaja Centre in Ronda, located on Calle Sor Ángela de la Cruz.

All sessions will run from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

Six sessions exploring Andalusian art

This year’s edition offers a broad look at Andalusia’s artistic heritage.

Rather than focusing on a single historical period or discipline, the programme will cover topics ranging from contemporary art and exhibition curating to religious sculpture, Málaga clay sculpture, museum drawing collections and the preservation of Picasso’s legacy.

The course is coordinated by Sergio Ramírez, Professor of Art History at the University of Málaga, and Rafael Valentín López, curator at the Fundación Unicaja Joaquín Peinado Museum.

Contemporary art opens the programme on 5 November

The first session will take place on Thursday 5 November.

It will be led by Jimena Blázquez Abascal, PhD in Contemporary Art, exhibition curator and former director of the Andalusian Centre for Contemporary Art.

Her talk is entitled ‘Volar para volver: comisariar. Arte contemporáneo andaluz entre lo local y lo universal’.

The session will explore how contemporary art created in Andalusia can engage with international artistic discourse while maintaining a strong connection to its local context.

21st-century religious sculpture on 10 November

On Tuesday 10 November, Andrés Luque Teruel, Professor of Art History and Vice-Rector for Institutional Relations at the University of Seville, will take part.

His session will focus on religious sculpture in Seville during the first third of the 21st century.

The lecture will examine a field deeply connected to Andalusian artistic tradition, but from the perspective of contemporary creation.

Málaga and Andalusian clay sculpture

Two days later, on Thursday 12 November, the series will turn to another artistic tradition closely linked to Málaga and Andalusia.

José Luis Romero Torres, from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Telmo in Málaga, will give a lecture entitled ‘The sculptural tradition of Málaga and Andalusian clay figures’.

The session will provide insight into an artistic practice associated with both popular and religious sculpture and an important part of Andalusia’s cultural history.

Drawing collections in Andalusian museums

The programme continues on Tuesday 17 November with Ricardo Tenorio Vera, director of the Museum of Fine Arts of Granada.

His talk will focus on drawing collections in Andalusian museums.

It will offer an opportunity to discover a part of museum collections that often receives less attention than painting or sculpture, despite its importance in understanding the creative process of many artists.

Contemporary Andalusia and art that crosses borders

On Thursday 19 November, the course will return to the present day.

Art historian, curator and critic Regina Pérez Castillo will present the lecture ‘Contemporary Andalusia: the relevance of an art that breaks borders and paradigms’.

The session will examine contemporary Andalusian artistic creation and its relationship with new forms of expression, narratives and international contexts.

Picasso will close the 15th edition

The final session will focus on one of the most internationally recognised artists linked to Málaga.

Miguel López-Remiro, director of the Museo Picasso Málaga, will close the 15th Joaquín Peinado Lecture Series with ‘Picasso today: preserving, researching and sharing a living legacy’.

The talk will explore how Picasso’s legacy is managed today and the role museums play in its preservation, research and dissemination.

The programme will conclude on 24 November.

Who is the course aimed at?

The Joaquín Peinado Lecture Series is not intended only for specialists.

Fundación Unicaja has designed the programme for:

• teachers and education professionals;
• students;
• professionals from other sectors;
• people working in cultural fields;
• members of the general public interested in art history.

The format combines academic training with accessible cultural outreach, allowing participants to engage with specialist subjects without requiring previous formal training in the field.

Ten certified teaching hours

Participation also includes formal academic recognition.

The Ronda Teacher Training Centre and UNED Málaga will certify 10 teaching hours for participants who complete the course.

This makes the programme particularly useful for teachers, students and professionals interested in expanding their training in art and cultural heritage.

How to register for the Joaquín Peinado Lecture Series

Participation is free, although advance registration is required.

Registration will remain open until 5 November 2026.

Those interested can register in person or by post through the Fundación Unicaja Centre in Ronda and the Fundación Unicaja Joaquín Peinado Museum.

The registration form can also be downloaded from the Fundación Unicaja website and sent by email to:

aulajoaquinpeinado@fundacionunicaja.com

The course will take place at the Fundación Unicaja Centre in Ronda, Calle Sor Ángela de la Cruz, s/n.

A special edition marking the museum’s 25th anniversary

The 2026 edition has additional significance.

The 15th Joaquín Peinado Lecture Series forms part of the events organised to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Fundación Unicaja Joaquín Peinado Museum in Ronda.

The museum is dedicated to preserving and promoting the work of Joaquín Peinado, one of the most important 20th-century artists from Ronda.

The anniversary programme aims to deepen public understanding of his work, highlight the collections held by the museum and reinforce the institution’s role in Ronda’s cultural life.

Art and education in the heart of Ronda

The Joaquín Peinado Lecture Series also provides another reason to visit Ronda during November.

Over nearly three weeks, the programme will offer the chance to explore different aspects of Andalusian artistic heritage with specialists from universities, academies and some of the region’s leading museums.

With free registration and six different sessions, the course stands out as one of Ronda’s main cultural and educational events this autumn.