Malaga celebrates Picasso's birth with an exhibition on Françoise Gilot, the puppet Peneque, and the luthier from Les Luthiers

The Picasso Birthplace Museum celebrates the birth of the Malaga genius with a new Picassian October, a program that in its 38th edition combines academic proposals with other informative ones, with special attention to family audiences. An exhibition of Picasso's engravings inspired by Françoise Gilot, free performances for children of Peneque the Brave -based on the story 'Pablito and El Caratorta' by Pedro Luis Gómez-, a workshop with the luthier from Les Luthier, and street interventions will remind the people of Malaga that 144 years ago, Picasso was born in Plaza de la Merced.

The agenda begins on October 22 with the opening to the public of 'Picasso: Life with Françoise' in the Temporary Exhibition Hall of La Merced, a selection of engravings in which the presence of Françoise Gilot (1921-2023) serves as inspiration for the Malaga artist. Recognized both for her relationship with Picasso and for her own career as a painter, Gilot appears in these works portrayed through a language that transcends mere physical representation.

The celebration moves to the street with a temporary intervention on October 24 and 25 on the facade of the Birthplace House. Six LED screens installed on the building's balconies will project an animation that combines documentary photographs of Picasso's childhood with images evoking 19th-century Malaga.

On October 25, the day of the anniversary, the Birthplace House will open its doors for free with guided tours

On that same October 25, the day of the anniversary, the museum will open its doors for free, with guided tours to introduce the artist's childhood and his relationship with his hometown. At 11:00 AM, in the auditorium, 'Unlocking Picasso. Basic Tutorial to Enjoy the Work of an Artist Who Painted Strangely' will be presented by José S. Mateos (@GodPikasso) and the journalist Esther Luque. The proposal is based on an innovative and playful method that turns the painter's work into a multi-adventure video game, with its own rules, characters, and settings.

That same day, there will be a new family workshop titled 'Someone Very Special', which will include a visit to the temporary exhibition. It will be from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM for families with children aged 3 to 12 years. The day will culminate with the concert 'Picasso and Jazz', performed by the Jitterburg Trio, consisting of Mario Sánchez Jiménez (piano), Miguel Ángel Gil Gutiérrez (double bass), and Francisco Palomo Montejo (clarinet, percussion, and chromatic harmonica). The event, at 7:00 PM in the auditorium, delves into the artist's connection with this musical genre, both as a fan and as an artistic collaborator, illustrating texts and literary works for a record label.

The following day, Sunday, October 26, will be for the little ones. The museum's auditorium will host three performances of 'Pablito and Peneque', by Miguel Pino's company, a play starring the brave puppet inspired by the story 'Pablito and El Caratorta' by journalist and writer Pedro Luis Gómez. The shows will be in the afternoon, with free admission until full capacity is reached, with invitations available at the reception from 6:00 PM.

More Activities

But the Picassian agenda offers even more. On Tuesday, October 21, and Wednesday, October 22, Argentine luthier Hugo Domínguez, responsible for many of the informal instruments of the group Les Luthier, will build a guitar inspired by the three-dimensional ones Picasso made during the Cubist period in the workshop classroom of the Birthplace House. The result, which will be developed in front of the public, will be presented on Friday, October 24, in a meeting between Hugo Domínguez and producer Pepe Zapata with a group of schoolchildren in the auditorium of the Birthplace House. The guitar will remain in the museum for exhibition.

A day earlier, the primary school students from Nuestra Señora de Gracia will visit the Picasso Birthplace Museum and participate in a workshop about a sound mural that will be unveiled on Friday morning, for all audiences. The mural will reveal an image of the Malaga artist, which will transform into an emotional tribute in the form of a 'cajoneada' on the same Friday with 40 flamenco boxes, which the students will play – directed by Pepe Zapata on the cajón and Carlos Cortés on the guitar – next to the sculpture of Picasso in Plaza de la Merced.

The special programming will extend into November and December. There will be two specialized seminars, one taught by Ignacio Araujo, 'The Power of Walter, Maar, Gilot, and Roque', and 'The Forces of Painting: Unthinkable Picasso' by Luis Puelles. The Picasso Birthplace will also host a role-playing game day organized by the Friends of the Picasso Birthplace Museum, the talk 'Picasso Mestizo' with Felipe Alarcón, and the presentation of 'Back to Poetry. An Educational Experiment' by poet Álvaro García.

Furthermore, on November 24, the presentation of the book 'Picasso, My Second Father' by Eugenio Arias, published by the Picasso Birthplace Museum in an edition by Madeleine Bergé Arias and text established by Rafael Inglada, will take place. The final touch will be on December 10 with the presentation of 'The Book of Anecdotes' by Rafael Inglada, with the participation of Malén Gual.