A Night of White Poetry

It had already been announced that this White Night would revolve around Rafael Pérez Estrada, a Malaga-born artist who left a mark with his poetry and drawings. And indeed, it did. The fantasy-filled universe of the author, who passed away exactly 25 years ago, took over the streets of Malaga and cultural spaces, leaving the memory of a poetic evening. His verses illuminated Larios Street and his distinctive drawings were on every corner. The atmosphere was perfect as any Saturday night in Malaga is synonymous with people walking through the center, but the interest in culture was reflected in the queues at museums and venues that hosted the 150 scheduled activities from 8:00 PM to 1:00 AM.

Five hours of exhibitions, street art, dance, music, artistic installations, photography, technology, theater, workshops... Various categories for all tastes: 43 proposals in 'Art, Museums, and Exhibitions'; 13 in 'Performing Arts'; 38 activities dedicated to 'Music and Dance'; eight actions of 'Street Art'; 11 'Audiovisual' proposals; 16 activities in the 'Little White Night'; three in the 'And You Can Also See' category; and 14 extraordinary visits scheduled in museums and cultural spots of the city.

It was impossible to see everything, but many locals had their routes marked. Like Alejandra Arteaga and Natalia Liquete, who from early on were at the Little White Night, the space dedicated to the little ones: "We can't miss it, it really is a good plan and that's why we came with everything looked up to know what time each activity was," they assured while waiting in Soho for their children, Florencia and Oliver, to finish the 'Chiromantic Mural' workshop. "Earlier we got on the tourist bus and we still have a few more workshops with the kids, then we'll go through the squares to see some of the outdoor concerts," they detailed.

There's no doubt that culture took over the center of Malaga. Plaza de la Constitución, Marina, Obispo, Patio de las Cadenas, Eduardo Ocón venue, and Muelle Uno were some of the most visited spots with special stages dedicated to different types of music. From rock to gospel and from violin to piano. "Sometimes we see this any day and we don't stop, but look how it has filled with people today," Mario Jiménez commented from Plaza de la Marina during the concert of one of the young pianists from the Conservatory.

'Seduction and Bestiality' by REA Dance conquered Plaza de la Constitución with four performances starting at 9:30 PM. At Mucac, the two performances of 'Carroza', a work presented by Ventura Díaz alongside Pedro Ocaña, explored the essence of the body and emotion from the roots to the contemporary. "What you see is likely something I will never do again because I'm showing you part of the process. I show you what I am now, but I don't know what I'll be tomorrow. We are fortunate and we are part of art," he addressed the audience after the first part of the show.

At the information point, 'The Cloud Factory', thousands of people were wondering what was happening. Some tourists and not so tourists, as some of those who came asking: "What is this?" were also from Malaga. The couple from Madrid, Julia and Javier, spending this weekend in Malaga, asked and received a book with the schedule: "We thought to take a walk and have dinner out, but now that we know there are so many things we're going to take advantage to visit museums and see some of the street concerts," they explained after finding out what the White Night meant.

The Municipal Archive was one of the main attractions of this edition with technology and artificial intelligence in the 'Pérezestradian Immersion' installation, which allowed visitors to delve into the artist's mind through a curtain where his face was projected and his own voice reciting the well-known verses of his poem 'And So Is Malaga'. "And so is Malaga/Half jasmine and half breeze/Half dove and half messenger seagull/Half lip and half petal/Heart pierced by a biznaga of tireless dawns," could be heard from Rafael Pérez Estrada as you entered the inner courtyard of the Municipal Archive. This artistic installation, by Margarito Studio, a Malaga-based company, offered a surreal journey into the universe of Rafael Pérez Estrada full of characters, aphorism, and the Mediterranean. "We intended to introduce the audience from the beginning, even before entering the building," detailed Daniela Setién from Margarito Studio with SUR.

The Patio de Banderas of the City Hall was transformed into a photographic studio for five hours by Estela de Castro, who was the first portraitist of the Royal House, and Malaga photographer Edu Rosa. Each with their set, they did not stop photographing attendees, who had registered in advance and had filled all the slots within hours. The Malaga photographer had a small corridor and two mirrors at the end, a stool in the middle, and a personal photo featuring a constant gaze. Estela de Castro, along with armchairs, chairs, and various accessories, dedicated herself to photographing families. Some even brought a special outfit for a photograph that will remain as a keepsake. "Estela decided some time ago to make portraits for families because they were being lost, now only selfies are taken, so she is reviving this long-standing tradition," explained Amparo García from the organization.

The tradition of the White Night with the museums did not change. The queues remained constant from eight in the evening when the event started. The audience was diverse, of all ages, like the family of Peter and Lina, who were waiting with their two children in the queue at the Thyssen to visit it. "We were going to come this morning, but at the hotel, they informed us that today was the White Night starting at eight in the evening, so we took the opportunity to make the visit now. There's a great atmosphere!" they commented happily while waiting.

At the close of this chronicle, just at midnight, the event continued to be celebrated in the streets of central Malaga. A sixteenth edition will be remembered that, above all, did not want to lose the legacy of Rafael Pérez Estrada and his fantasy in poetry and drawings.