On October 2, 2026, Irene Carvajal, the Councillor for Education and Culture and Deputy Mayor of Valladolid, attended the inauguration of '¡Olé! The Myth of the Spanish Identity through Andalucía' at the Carmen Thyssen Museum in Málaga. This exhibition celebrates the museum's 15th anniversary and features a collaboration with the Patio Herreriano Museum, which is lending the artwork 'Lance de Capa' by Ángel Ferrant, created in 1939. The piece is one of nine scenes from Ferrant's 'La tauromaquia,' depicting various moments of bullfighting.
'Lance de Capa' will be on display at the Málaga museum until February 21, 2027. During her visit, Carvajal also held meetings to finalize details regarding the temporary loan of other works from the Contemporary Art Collection, housed at the Patio Herreriano Museum, for future exhibitions. Additionally, discussions were held to explore potential collaborations between the Municipal Culture Foundation of Valladolid, the Málaga City Council, and the Carmen Thyssen Museum.
The exhibition '¡Olé!' features 72 works and aims to reflect on the artistic construction of a specific identity image of Spain, primarily drawn from the traditions, folklore, and popular culture of Andalucía. This identity has evolved into a series of recurring stereotypes over the 19th and 20th centuries.
Curated by Bárbara García and Alberto Gil from the museum's Conservation Department, '¡Olé!' includes 75 works from 52 artists, mostly Spanish. The exhibition presents a diverse array of interpretations of Spanish and Andalusian culture, ranging from paternalistic and realistic views to more exotic and idealized representations, as well as darker, ironic, avant-garde, or kitsch perspectives.
Artworks in the exhibition encompass painting, drawing, engraving, photography, and sculpture, showcasing a variety of cultural clichés such as mantillas, guitars, and bullfighters. However, the exhibition seeks to encourage visitors to reflect on Spain's identity through the lens of Andalucía, examining the myth's creation in 19th-century art, its questioning in the 20th century, and its persistence in contemporary perceptions of the country and its culture.
By presenting a broader imaginary that transcends stereotypes, the exhibition highlights the continuous renewal and formal and conceptual breaks throughout the 20th century. It features dramatic and dark interpretations by artists like Francisco de Goya and Ignacio Zuloaga, alongside admiration for traditions by Joaquín Sorolla, as well as avant-garde contributions from Antonio Saura and Pablo Picasso, and parodic works by Gregorio Prieto and Eduardo Arroyo.
Additionally, the exhibition includes works by foreign artists who traveled through Spain and Andalucía, such as Sonia Delaunay and Francis Bacon, adding international perspectives to a discourse that remains relevant today. '¡Olé! The Myth of the Spanish Identity through Andalucía' serves as both a tribute to Andalusian and Spanish identity and a reflection on the stereotypes that have shaped the image of the region for two centuries, intertwining 19th-century and contemporary views to showcase the myriad faces of this enduring myth.
